Starting Over
by trycee
Summary: Mulder and Scully are raising their young daughter, when William stumbles upon them. William has been running for the past five years of his life. His reunion puts them all in danger, forcing them all on the run. Can Mulder and Scully get William to safety? Or will they all stay in danger?
1. Chapter 1

**Starting Over**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: My Struggle IV, Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit.**

 **Northfolk, Virginia. 2018:**

Mulder held her close, his heart broken into pieces. She was crying into his shoulder and all he could think of was that there was a baby, his baby inside of her. Another miracle. He looked towards the choppy waters where his son. He swallowed hard. Where William, had died. He pulled back to look into her eyes. She was inconsolable, her face red with tears streaking her cheeks. She clung to him as the realization that her son was now dead."William...," she whispered, collapsing on the ground.

Mulder bent down and gently tapped her cheek. "Scully, honey, wake up."

He lifted her back up to her feet and she stared up into his eyes. "Mulder...our son," she cried. Scully closed her eyes, as the realization sunk in. "My son..."

Mulder felt his own heart break into a million pieces. "Let's get you to the car, Scully."

"NO," she sobbed. "He's in there. His body..."

"We'll call the police to retrieve his body, Scully, but I need to get you away from here."

"I can't, Mulder. He's in there," she said, pointing to the waters. "William...," she sobbed. "William is gone..."

Mulder gripped Scully's arms. "I'll call the police and they'll search for him, I promise."

Scully glanced back at the dark waters but Mulder placed his arm around her, afraid she might jump into the waters after her son. Mulder held her as they walked down the pier and back into the warehouse until they came to the entrance they'd entered from. They stopped in their tracks, surprised at the scene in front of them. A black SUV had slammed into Mulder's car. He could make out a person in the drivers seat. He held up his hand, letting Scully know he wanted her to stay in place. Mulder walked cautiously to the side of his car, and stared down at the legs that stuck out, sandwiched beneath the much larger black SUV. He could see Monica Reyes with a bullet hole in her head. He turned his attention back to Skinner. He reached down and touched his arm. He could hear a slight moan. "Skinner?"

"I'm hurt," he heard him say.

"Scully, call 9-11," Mulder said, turning towards her.

She reached into her pockets and pulled out her phone. He could hear her conversation as he knelt down, trying to see where Skinner was wedged. Scully walked to Mulder's side. "They're on their way. They'll need to lift the car off of him."

Mulder placed his hand up. "Scully, step back. You're in a delicate state."

Scully took a step back as Mulder walked to the drivers side of the SUV and touched the still warm skin of Monica Reyes. He knew she was dead but he checked for a pulse anyway. "She's dead."

Scully stared back at Mulder. "She was trying to redeem herself. She was still trying to help us, Mulder. She deserved better than this."

"It's too late now," he said, as the police and the ambulance pulled up in front of the warehouse. "I need to talk to them. Tell them there's two bodies in the bay."

He could see Scully stumble again and so he marched her over to the second ambulance that had pulled up. "She's pregnant," Mulder said to the Ambulance worker. "Check her."

The EMT pulled Scully inside the Ambulance and began to check her vitals. She was cleared but was left in the Ambulance as they joined in trying to help Skinner who was badly injured. Scully stared out at the surreal vision in front of her of swirling blue and red lights that lighted the docks in the dark. Scully watched as Mulder explained the situation to the Norfolk police, turning occasionally to point in her direction. She watched as Monica's body was covered with a white sheet after the Coroner had snapped photos; she felt a pang in her heart watching the fate of her former friend. Scully made the sign of the cross and then turned away. She could feel Mulder's eyes on her as he talked with the local police. She turned her attention to the rumblings of the ground as the Fire Department along with the Police Department immediately went to work, carefully pulling the SUV away from Mulder's damaged sports car. A badly bleeding Skinner was lifted onto a stretcher, his body secured as they rushed him into the other Ambulance and drove away. Mulder walked back over to her side. "They're ordering a retrieval team to look for William and CGB's bodies from the water."

Scully's eyes began to water. "Mulder, how bad is Skinner?"

Mulder shook his head. "I'm not sure but he's pretty bad. He's still alive though. That's something. Come on, Scully, I'm going to drive Skinner's car home. Come on," he said, grabbing her hand.

She jumped down from the Ambulance onto the ground and followed him to Skinner's car. The police watched them as they slipped into their seats.

"Skinner's being taken to the same hospital that we were just at," Mulder said, as his voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "I need to get you away from here."

"NO!", she said, turning to look at Mulder.

He looked at Scully perplexed. "Why?"

"We're going to the hospital, Mulder."

"No, Scully. Skinner is..."

"The hospital has William's DNA results. I want to run a paternity test. I want to run it myself."

Mulder stared back at her. "Scully..."

"NO," she said. "I need to know Mulder. Skinner told me that CGB is William's father and I can't possibly believe that. I can't..."

Mulder lowered his head as he slammed his fist against the steering wheel. Several officers walked up to them but then stepped away as Mulder turned the engine on. "He's taken everything away from me, Scully."

"Not everything, Mulder."

He turned to look at her. "Are you sure you're pregnant, Scully? How is the baby possible? I thought you said you'd gone into menopause?"

"Menopause takes up to eleven years, Mulder. I'm still having periods. Not all the time but I am. Or was. There's women that have babies in their early fifties, Mulder. It's more common that you think. As long as you are still having a period and ovulating, it's possible."

Mulder turned to look at Scully. "Is that where you were yesterday morning? At the doctors?"

She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Mulder. He snatched it from her fingers and read it. "Five weeks...You're five weeks pregnant?"

"Yeah, I am," she said, nervously. "I know where'd not young anymore but...I am pregnant."

Mulder turned the paper over and could see the ultrasound. He stared at the black and white image of their fetus. He handed the photo back to Scully. She stared at the ultrasound and licked her lips. "Mulder?", she said, as her heart raced. "Mulder? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"This baby is staying with us, Scully," he said, firmly. "This baby has not been tampered with. This baby will be protected."

"I know," she said. "Are you happy? I mean...are you..."

Mulder turned to Scully. "l'm happy, Scully, about the baby...," he said, his eyes lost as he looked at her. "But, I'm also devastated about William right now. I just lost a son that wasn't mine to begin with..."

"I didn't know," Scully said, wiping at her eyes. "I thought he was yours and mine. I thought he was the result of our love story. I found out I was pregnant with William the day you were abducted and all this time, I believed he was yours. I had no reason to ever think he wasn't. I was scared they'd experimented on me but I just knew he was yours. And then Skinner tells me..."

Mulder shifted the car into drive and began to drive away from the warehouse. "Skinner was told this by CGB?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice cracking.

"And the hospital still has records of the DNA test?"

"Yeah," she said. "His and mine."

"And what if it comes up that William is my brother and not my son, Scully," he said, turning to face her.

He could see the tears in her eyes as she turned her head away from him. He listened to her cries as he drove on autopilot. He was sure his heart had finally dissolved as he thought back to the past seventeen years of William's life to the beginning when he first found out she was pregnant with him. He thought back to the moment he had awaken from death to see the beauty that was Scully. He remembered how he felt when she laid her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat. But, when she stood up, his world had shattered. Scully was pregnant and that's when his anger and jealously had set in. It wasn't until a few days later that he had realized that he was the father of their son. And he had vowed that he would do whatever it took to protect both Scully and their unborn child. He had tossed and turned many a night worrying about the baby growing inside of her and the dangers she was in. He'd made plans thanks to The LoneGun Men to protect Scully and their baby, just in case. And when William had been born, he had unfortunately missed the entire event, having sent her with the now deceased Monica Reyes to get her out of danger. William had been born in Georgia under threat of the Super Soldiers and he had searched for them by helicopter. When Mulder had found her, he'd taken her and the baby to the nearest hospital in Atlanta. She'd been there just two days before she was released and they had brought William home, spending only one day together as new parents. Skinner would then tell them that his life was in danger and that if he stayed, the Super Soldiers and the Syndicate would come after Scully and their child. And so he had left them for months, thinking that he could save them with his absence. But what he had done was leave Scully and William open for attack, leaving Scully with only one choice, to protect their son, to give him away. Through hurt, tears and years of worry and fear, they had endured it all together until tonight, when he learned that he was in fact, not the father of William in the first place. Another lie, another enduring pain.

Mulder reached out and touched her hand. He could hear the shifting of her sobs as he touched her. "Scully," he said. "I love you. And no matter what CGB has done, that will never change. You have to believe that."

She turned towards him as if her head were heavy as her tears cascaded down her cheeks. She was silent as she held his hand, squeezing it occasionally for strength. They parked and Scully wiped at her face, trying to erase the tearful track lines. Her face was crimson and her blue eyes were watery, but it was the best she could do. She had to to switch to doctor mode and that required her to push her emotions aside.

Scully slipped the cotton swap into the glass collection and sealed it. "Okay," she said, looking into Mulder's eyes as they sat in an empty exam room. "I'll have this run and we'll face whatever happens."

Mulder nodded. He touched his lips to her forehead. "Okay..."

"I'm sorry, Mulder...", she said, shaking her head. "If he did this to me...and William was not yours... I don't know..."

"You did nothing wrong," Mulder said. "It was not your fault. It was his. He has always tried to take everything from me. He took away my sister which took away my parents. Then he killed my father and then I learned that CGB was in fact my real biological father, which made it even worst. He's tried to take you away from me. What could be left? To take our son away from us. He's evil, Scully, not you."

Scully placed her hand against his chest. "I love you."

"I love you," he said, pressing his lips to her forehead.

Scully patted her hand against his chest and then walked out, leaving him alone. Mulder could feel his own heart sinking. William had been their miracle child, the evidence of their true and unyielding love and the hope of their future. To have that ripped from them was almost more than he could handle. Scully returned from the lab and walked with Mulder to the waiting room.

Mulder sat with Scully stretch out on his lap asleep as they waited in the waiting room. He watched as the halls began to fill up as the hospital transitioned to the morning crew with doctors and nurses moving briskly down the halls, chatting as they went. Some stopped and pointed to Scully looking like a little girl, nestled on his lap and smiled. Mulder smiled back. His stomach was churning as he tried to process the loss of a child with the hope of another.

There was a pat on his shoulder and Mulder turned to see Skinner's doctor. "Walter Skinner is recovering from Surgery. The wheels of the car missed his head but got his shoulder and side. He's lucky to be alive. But, we have some bad news as well."

Scully sat up. "What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid that Mr. Skinner is paralyzed from the waist down."

Scully gasped. "Paralyzed?"

"I'm afraid he'll have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life."

Mulder held Scully in his arms. The doctor continued. "He'll need full care. He'll probably be here for awhile before he can be transferred to a rehabilitation hospital where he'll have physical therapy and will be taught how to use his wheelchair."

"Can he be transferred to the hospitals in D.C.?", Scully asked.

The doctor sighed. "Well, perhaps in a few days but he'll need family to sign off on that."

Mulder shook his head. "He has no family that's left."

The doctor nodded. "He'll have to request it himself then when he comes too."

"I'm his doctor," Scully said, as she sat up. "I'll request it."

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "I'll get the paperwork."

"And what about Monica Reyes?", Mulder asked. "Have they notified her next of kin?"

The doctor stared at them. "She has a brother in California that wants her body transferred to Mexico City, so that's what we'll do. He apparently hadn't heard from her in nearly seventeen years. He thought she was already dead."

Scully wiped at her eyes. "Thank You, Doctor."

The doctor nodded his head and retreated just as a lab technician walked up to Scully, handing her the results. Scully jumped up and scoured the forms, and then looked up to Mulder. She could see the look in his eyes that he was already defeated. "Mulder...", she said, slowly. "You are William's father. CGB lied. He lied, Mulder."

"WHAT?", he said. "What are you saying. What do you mean? I mean, he's my father too. Wouldn't our genes be similar."

"But not identical, " she said, looking at him. "William is our son, Mulder, just like we thought. You are his biological father."

"So...what...did...", he stammered.

"He was William's creator. Maybe he engineered it so I would get pregnant. Maybe like Skinner said, he manipulated me during that trip to Pennsylvania. Maybe that was what that talk to me about me not letting you love me was all about."

Mulder sighed and grapped Scully in his arms. "He's our son, Scully. For sure. You're positive?"

"Mulder, Science doesn't lie. DNA doesn't lie. He's your son, not CGB's. You came back as 99.9% the father of Jackson Van DeKamp."

Mulder pulled her in tighter into his arms. They held each other for a long while as their joy was tempered as it quickly turned into tears with the realization that they had still lost their son. Mulder's phone rang. He hit the button. "Hello? Yes?", he sighed heavily. "Okay."

"What did they say?"

"They scanned the river now that it's daylight and used sonar equipment and there was no heat signatures for either body in the river. They used four helicopters and scanned out into the sea, no bodies."

"He's alive..."

"Scully," Mulder said, touching her shoulder. "Don't..."

"He's alive, Mulder. I'm telling you, he's alive," she said vehemently. "I know he is."

Mulder sighed as he looked down into her eyes. "I believe you."

Scully grabbed the ultrasound paper out of her pocket and placed it with William's DNA results. "Let's go, Mulder. I want to go home."

He watched as Scully padded her way towards the door. He caught up to her, slipping her hand in his.

The drive back to his home would be a three and a half hours in the pitch blackness of the early night. He knew Scully would remain in a deep sleep throughout the ride. Mulder sipped on his coffee as he drove the highway back home. He could see Scully asleep out of the corner of his eye but she sat up suddenly, staring at him as they drove on. " I can feel him. He only pretended to be shot in the head. He's running."

Mulder turned to Scully. "You can still feel him?"

"I'm his mother...", she answered simply.

Mulder nodded his head. "L'm sure if he needs us, Scully, he'll find us. He's an adult now."

"He's seventeen," she said, as she wiped away her tears. "Out there, all alone."

"Scully, he can protect himself better than you or I. When he's ready, he'll find us. Besides, we have a little one to worry about."

Scully smiled to herself. Mulder continued on. "When we were on the docks, Scully, why did you say William was an experiment? Why were you rejecting him?"

Scully's smile quickly disappeared. She pursed her lips and looked down at her feet. "I didn't mean it," she said, scanning Mulder's eyes. "Skinner had just told me that our son was not ours. He said he needed to tell me who the father was." She turned to look at Mulder. "I listened but I'm not sure I heard it all. To me, without you as his father...I guess I needed to separate myself from him. I needed to distance myself. It was another lie, another experiment like with Emily. Another hoax."

"He was still your son, even if he wasn't mine."

Scully shook her head. "That was how I felt at that moment, Mulder. I felt that if you weren't the father, then I didn't want..."

Mulder grabbed her hand and squeezed. "He is our son. CGB might have played God but he's OUR son, not his. And he's out there somewhere. He doesn't want us to find him though, Scully."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm just grateful he's still alive."

"If you believe he's alive, Scully, then so do I."

"He's alive, Mulder," she said, searching his eyes. "He's alive."

"Skinner will be transferred back here to D.c. in a few days. We'll need to go visit him."

"Okay," Mulder said. "Skinner is such a proud man. I'm not sure how he'll handle all of this."

"And poor Monica," Scully sighed. "She was trying to help us...if only she had left him and gotten away."

"Monica wouldn't have left John. But that means, John is still trapped wherever CGB has him."

They turned and looked at each other.

"We have this new baby we need to worry about and care for now, Scully. For seventeen years we've focused on William. He's a man now, he's on his own. There's no one that can protect him better than he can protect himself. We have to let him go. We have to focus on this baby."

"Together," she said. "We need to work on our marriage, Mulder."

Mulder nodded his head. "That's exactly what I mean."

She sat in the car looking out at the front porch of the Unremarkable House. "I wanna move back home."

Mulder nodded. "Without a doubt. You're partially moved back in since the fire. We'll hire someone to fix up your place and sell it."

Scully placed a hand to her stomach and sighed. "We're old, Mulder. We have one child that will be an adult soon and one child on the way. It's not going to be easy. I'm not even sure we're up for this."

"We'll make it work, Scully."

"I know we will," she said. "I wanted to tell you yesterday about the baby but Monica had called me about William and so I rushed in to tell you. I knew it wasn't the time. You had to find our son."

Mulder grabbed her fingers and brought them to her lips. "It's a miracle, Scully. Another Miracle."

She turned to look at him. "We're out of a job," she said. "Kersh wanted our badges."

Mulder sighed and shook his head. "We were back for such a short period but we knew that with the current political climate we might lose our jobs," he sighed. "What will you do? Go back to Our Lady?"

"If they'll have me."

"You were such a highly valued physician and surgeon, Scully. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to bring you back whenever you decide to go back."

Scully glanced down at her stomach. "I'll contact them and let them know I want to come back at some point, maybe in a year."

"But, not now. We're fine. We have enough money. We have more than enough money, actually. So, not now, not while you're pregnant."

Scully glanced at the ultrasound of their baby. "Our entire lives are about to change."

"I guess I'll be a stay-at-home dad."

Scully smiled. "I like the sound of that."

Mulder smirked. "Guess we'll have to do a little spiffing up of the place."

"You'll have to do that anyway. I'm not moving back into a bachelor pad."

Mulder smiled. "We need so much. Diapers and cribs and so much more."

"Looks like Ikea isn't the only place we'll need to hit up."

"No," he said. "But, we'll be fine."

"Geritol and Baby Diapers, Mulder?"

Mulder turned to her. "Definitely. And to think we thought we were old with William." he said, staring at their front door.

"We were so wrong," she said, sliding out of the passenger seat. "Come on. I'm hungry."

Mulder followed her up the steps. They pushed open the front door and sat down on the couch. Scully glanced around them. "First we eat, then we call to check on Skinner. Then we start decluttering," she said, shaking her head. "Most of this," she said, pointing to his boxes of Mulder's tapes with his desk in the middle of the living room floor. "It'll have to go somewhere else, Mulder. We need to make a safe, clean environment for the baby."

Mulder smiled and kissed her lips. "We'll be the oldest parents at the elementary school but we'll also be the coolest parents there."

Scully settled into his arms. "Our X-Files days are over, Mulder. No more of that. I don't want this baby knowing anything about that life."

Mulder placed his hand on Scully's still flat stomach. "It's over," he sighed. "The X-Files is over. Good riddance."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Starting Over**

 **Part 2**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit.**

 **Five Years Later, the year 2023.**

 **Belle Haven, Virginia. The Unremarkable House** :

Scully awoke with a start and stretched as she stood up and then walked into her bathroom, splashing water on her face. She stared at her image in the mirror and closed her eyes. Her face was pale with dark rings under her eyes. She chalked it up to the fact that she hadn't slept well since Mulder was invited to speak at a UFO Conference just a few days before. Scully also figured she was looking so tired and pasty from the affects of her countless restless dreams over the past five years. She could still see the image of William in the choppy waters, his dead body floating away. Other times in her dreams, William was drowning. But in this latest dream, his head had popped up in the choppy waters, a bullet hole in his skull. She sighed as she retrieved her phone and returned to the bathroom sink. She glanced down at her cellphone, searching her messages. Mulder hadn't called or messaged her since he left the hotel in Raleigh, North Carolina, the night before.

Scully's thoughts were interrupted by a little voice. She turned to see her sleepily eyed four year old walk up to her, dressed in pink flannel pajamas and dragging a soft stuffed doll on the floor by it's leg. The four year had flowing red hair and stark blue eyes that always caught Scully off guard whenever she gazed into her daughter's eyes. She was beautiful and despite looking like her twin, Zoe was as curious and as stubborn as her father.

"Mommy," Zoe said. "Is Daddy coming home today?"

Scully picked the child up and placed her on the edge of the bathroom counter. "Daddy had to talk to a whole group of people in a city far away, remember?. But, he'll be back today. Do you miss him?"

"A whole lot," the four year said. "And Mommy," Zoe said. "I'm hungry."

Scully grabbed her lipstick from her daughter's fingers. Scully smiled and touched the cheek of the redhead. "What would you like?"

Zoe shrugged her shoulders. "Cereal or Pancakes," she said, smearing lipstick on her cheek.

"Okay," Scully said, running her fingers through her own greying red hair and staring at herself in the mirror. She was not pleased with the woman she saw staring back. "I think pancakes sound good. With bananas or blueberries?"

"Strawberries."

Scully looked down at her young daughter, noticing her lipstick spread all over her delicate skin. Scully grabbed a washcloth and wet it before wiping her daughter's cheek. "Okay, but first. You need to go brush your teeth and make your bed for the day."

Zoe frowned and pointed to her doll. "Mrs. Tolbert is hungry. She's hungry now, Mommy."

"Then, Zoe, you need to hurry up so you both can eat."

Zoe continued to frown, crossing her arms in front of her. Scully raised an eyebrow as she placed Zoe on her feet. "Hurry, if you wanna eat."

Zoe sighed and walked off, dragging Mrs. Tolbert along with her.

Mulder drove down the road and parked in front of his home. It had been a long drive through the night from Raleigh, but all he wanted was to be with his favorite two girls. He stepped out of his car and noticed the tricycle and toys doting the front lawn. He'd have to clean that all up later. He bound up the steps and listened at the door. He could hear the soft pats of little feet angling in his direction. He opened the door and grabbed her up in his arms. Zoe wrapped her tiny arms around his neck like a vice grip and hugged him tightly. Mulder gazed into his daughter's sparkling blue eyes and smiled. He kissed the top of her bright red head and ran his fingers through her shoulder length hair. She was the spitting image of her mother from her hair color and blue eyes to her quiet contemplation. "Zoe, where's mommy?", he asked the young beauty.

"Mommy is right here," Scully called from the kitchen. "And daddy was very missed, wasn't he, Zoe?"

"A whole bunch," Zoe smiled.

Mulder walked with his daughter clinging to his neck. He kiss Scully's lips and noticed the relief in her shoulders. Scully's red hair was intermixed with white and greying strains, the only hint of her age, as she stood in the kitchen, the bowl of pancake batter in her hands. He placed Zoe onto the floor and watched as the four year old spun around in a circle, full of energy. Mulder's attention returned to the eyebrow lift of Scully. "How many more of these conventions, Mulder?", she asked.

"I needed to do this," he said, as he watched Scully pour batter onto the griddle. "It was actually fun. I met a lot of people in the UFO community."

"I thought you were done with this," she said, snatching a cooked pancake from his fingers. "You know how I feel about this, Mulder. You were gone for three days and I'm left to do all the laundry and all the things you were supposed to do."

"Scully," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's something I needed to do. I needed to network. We were both invited to this. I was hoping to get answers to the recent sightings and to be around people that have knowledge in the field. When we started in the X-Files, there was no one doing this. And then it exploded and there's TV shows, and conventions, and I think we deserved to be apart of that."

"Why now all of a sudden, Mulder?"

He placed his hands on his hips and turned, noticing their daughter watching them. Zoe walked up to them. "Mommy, daddy. Don't fight."

Mulder looked surprised. He reached down and lifted his daughter's chin. "Mommy and daddy aren't fighting, honey. Mommy and daddy love each other."

Zoe stared at her mother, noticing the tension in her shoulders, her arms crossed and the tightness of her lips. Scully quickly softened. "Go play with your toys, honey. Let me and daddy talk, okay."

They could see that Zoe was concerned but she retreated to the living room where her large plastic toybox was located.

Mulder stared down into Scully's eyes. "I'm here all day long, Scully. It's nice to get out among people in our field."

"You're retired," she said, pouting.

"I see all these sightings being reported online and I just wanted to go and see if I could talk to a few people, see if I could figure out if it's still happening...the abductions. Plus, it was an honor to be invited to this. You told me years ago to write a book. I think I'm finally ready to write it. So many people were encouraging me at the convention to write that book. I didn't realize how many people want to hear what we have to say. And they invited me to the next convention this weekend right here in D.C."

She turned to look into the living room where their daughter was seated on the floor, a few toys in front of her, watching them intently.

"Scully, I felt compelled to be around people that share our experiences. I needed to do this. I'm a stay at home dad, Scully. Which I love. But, I miss being active in the UFO community. I spent several years being cooped up in this house and then the last four years as a stay at home dad. Diapers, bottles, Kids tv shows. I need this."

She turned her back to Mulder and flipped the pancakes. "We have a daughter to take care of, Mulder. We're older now with a tiny little life we have to take care of. I don't want to jump back into that life. You promised she would never know that life."

He kissed the top of her head. "I didn't want to scare you, Scully. That's why I didn't pressure you and Zoe to go with me. But, I'm grateful that I went."

Mulder watched as her shoulders fell, as the air escaped her lungs. "What happened there?"

He sat down at the kitchen table, pulling Zoe into lap. Her feet dangle as she played with her doll, singing quietly to herself.

"I spoke to an enormous amount of people. I had a lot of people ask me questions. Apparently, the reputation of the X-Files is well known. I also spoke to a few witnesses to the recent sightings," he said, pointing to his briefcase. "There's more that believe now."

Scully turned to look at him. "I'm not sure about this."

"I was invited to speak to the UFO Convention in D.C. this weekend. I'm slated to speak, " he said, as Zoe held his hand, angling until she was seated on the edge of the table facing her father. He gazed down at their daughter. She was beautiful. He couldn't help but smile when he looked into her bright blue eyes.

"What else?", Scully said, placing two cut up pancakes on a pink plate with a matching fork. She moved over to the table and placed it in front of Zoe's booster seat.

"Mommmmmm," Zoe whined. "Don't forget the strawberries."

Scully shuffled over to the fridge and pulled out the plastic tub of strawberries. She returned to the counter and after washing them off, she begin to slice them up in a bowl. Mulder grabbed it along with the syrup and placed it on the kitchen table. He dolled out a few onto Zoe's plate and poured a small amount of syrup and watched as she began to eat her meal at the table while still seated on his knee.

"I think you and Zoe should come with me on Saturday. I want you there."

"I don't think so," Scully said. "This is my only weekend before I go back to work. I thought we were going to hit the sales for Zoe's preschool supplies. She only starts preschool once, Mulder. You also said you were taking her to..."

Mulder dropped his fork and pushed his plate away. "I'm not asking you to speak or to be involved in anyway," he said, interrupting. "I'm asking you to just be in the audience. The whole time in Raleigh, I just wanted to see you both out there when I went to speak. For support."

Zoe stared at her parents. "Daddy, " she said, mimicking Scully with her eyebrow raised. "Use your inside voice!"

Mulder chuckled as he looked at their daughter. "You're so much like your mother, it's scary."

"Daddy, can I go swimming?", Zoe asked.

"Did you ask Mommy?"

Zoe glanced at her mother. Scully shook her head no. Zoe nervously turned and then whispered in Mulder's ear. "She said, to wait and ask you."

"Ohhh," Mulder smiled. "Well, if it's okay with Mommy, then it's okay with me."

Scully eyed her daughter carefully. "Zoe, you know that's not what I said. I said no."

Zoe turned back and whispered into Mulder's ear. "She said yes, if you'll play with me in the water."

Mulder chuckled as he watched Scully cross her arms in front of her as she stared at their young daughter. He kissed Zoe on the cheek as he tried to wipe the smile from his lips.

"Well, of course we can if Mommy agrees. But, it's pretty cold outside."

"Which is why I said, no, Mulder. It's the Fall. It's time to put the pool away anyway," she said, looking at their willful child.

"Daddy. Mrs. Tolbert said, she's hungry too. She needs pancakes too."

Mulder kissed the red heads forehead. "Mrs. Tolbert is right. She's pretty smart, isn't she."

"YESSSSSSS," Zoe said, as Mulder renewed her stack of pancakes.

"Must be a growth spurt", Scully added.

"Which means she's about to grow out of all her clothes," he sighed.

"Which was another thing we were supposed to do this weekend," Scully said, avoiding Mulder's gaze as she placed the last stack of pancakes on the table. "Go school shopping."

Mulder could see that Scully was still irritated. "Are you angry that we're not getting a jump on her school supplies or your irritated that I'm jumping back into the UFO world?"

Scully sighed. Mulder turned to her. "Scully, which is it?"

"Besides you going off and getting involved in alien stuff, again?", she said, snidely. "I know exactly what will happen. You'll throw yourself back into all of this and completely forget about the promise that we made."

Mulder looked stunned. "What promise is that?"

"That would we never allow her to know that world, Mulder. You were gone three days and while you were gone, I had to deal with the Battle of Wills between a four year old and myself and I lost. She had tantrums all day yesterday because you weren't here. And Zoe only wanted you.'

Mulder watched as Scully ate her pancakes, avoiding his eyes. "She's just so much like you that you clash. Scully..."

"She's a daddy's girl, which makes it harder for me when I'm home alone with her."

"She's only a daddy's girl, when you're not around," Mulder clarified. "She's very much equally attached to us both, Scully."

"Mulder, she's used to you and the way you do things around the house. I don't make Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches like you do. I don't tell stories like you do. Nothing I do is right because it wasn't what you did."

"She's a mommy and daddy's girl, Scully and you're a great mom."

"I'm sixty years old," Scully huffed, feeling her tiredness come to surface.

"Fifty nine," Mulder corrected her.

"Yeah, well, I'm feeling it right now with a four year old little girl with so much energy. One that spends her days arguing back and forth with me."

"Well, for almost sixty you are still quite hot," Mulder grinned, reaching over and kissing Scully's lips. "And besides, no one would ever think you were almost sixty. Forty, yes. Not sixty."

"Tell it to my bones," Scully huffed, feeling her anger slowly dissipate. "No one ever said that being older parents would be easy," she said. "They also never told me I would be fighting with a tiny little human about naps and about manipulating their father," she said, as Zoe placed a pancake up to her dolls lips. "She has you wrapped around her finger, Mulder."

Mulder nodded. "She's stubborn because of you."

"Me?", she said, appalled. "You mean, you, Mulder. Once you and Zoe get something in your heads, there's no turning you around."

Zoe turned her attention to them. "I love you, Mommy," Zoe said.

"I love you too, sweetie. You didn't eat the rest of your pancakes."

"I'm full," Zoe said, patting her stomach. " Mrs. Tolbert will eat it, " Zoe said, holding her doll up for them to see.

"Well, Zoe sweetie," Scully said. "Mrs. Tolbert will get sticky from the syrup."

Zoe turned to her doll seated in her old high chair that was pulled up to the table. Zoe had it stuffed full of her dolls. "Mrs. Tolbert said she's full too."

"Well, Zoe, we don't waste food," Mulder interjected.

Zoe glanced at her mother and then picked up her kids fork and began to eat the rest of her pancakes. Scully smiled at Mulder. "Thank You," she whispered.

Mulder placed his hands on Scully's shoulders, pressing the knots out of her shoulder. "I'm sorry you're frustrated. I'm sorry I was gone. I don't want you to feel overwhelmed."

Scully leaned into his touch. "I just don't want our lives to change. I like the way things are, Mulder. I like how boring it is. How normal. I'm afraid that you'll go down a rabbit hole."

Mulder sighed. "After dinner tonight, I'm gonna give you a nice massage. A nice relaxing rubdown. You deserve it. You look really exhausted, Scully."

"You will?", Scully said, as she perked up. "And yes, I am pretty tired."

"Yeah. Mommy needs a break, doesn't she, Zoe," Mulder said, as Zoe eyed both her parents.

"Yes, we need to make Mommy happy," Zoe said.

Scully smiled as she looked down at their daughter. She sighed, feeling the stress of the morning melt away. "Thank You, honey."

"You're welcome," Zoe said, sipping on her orange juice.

"So, Mulder," Scully said. "What else happened at the convention."

Mulder scarfed down his food. "There were so many people there, Scully. Each one had a story. Veterans who said they saw USO's when they were in the waters of Vietnam. Others from the Gulf Wars and Iraq and Afghanistan. There were all kinds of people that have seen UFO's. We're not the crazy ones anymore."

Zoe banged her fork against her empty plate. They both watched as Zoe leaned her fork up to her dolls mouth. "Eat, Mrs. Tolbert. Eat, so you can grow big and strong."

They both smiled as they watched their daughter play.

"It's like a Convention, Scully. A cross between serious study of UFOs and a kind of carnival aspect in a way. I'd love for you both to come with me this time. We could hit up the stores in D.C. afterwards for Zoe's preschool clothes. You know, it'll be fun for her to see the old man on stage."

"Just this one time?"

Mulder nodded. "Cross my heart."

"Okay then. We'll come. This one time," she said, with her eyebrow raised.

Mulder smiled, reaching out and kissing Scully's lips. "Thank You, Scully. It'll be nice having my wife and daughter in the audience."

Scully kissed Mulder back. "And you won't complain no matter how many stores we go too, right?"

"No complaints," Mulder said. "Cross my heart. And Zoe, let's thank Mommy for cooking our breakfast. It was delicious."

"Thanks Mommy," Zoe chimed in.

Scully smiled back, as she touched her daughters hand. "Love you, Zoe. Mommy loves you."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Starting Over**

 **Part 3**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line:** **2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**.

 **UFO Convention, Washington, D.C:**

He had already checked out of his hotel room, avoiding security camera's that could see past his disguise, the projection that masked his true identity. He had a flaw, one he was quite aware of. High Definition camera's recorded his real image, and so he avoided them when he could. The last thing he needed was for them to find him again. He had to be extra careful this time because he knew there were camera's everywhere in the Metro D.C. area. Eyes from the Skies. He was sure the Syndicate and possibly the Old Man, was hot on his trail. He was constantly glancing over his shoulder, searching for men that might grab him and drag him off never to be seen again. It had happened to him multiple times in the past five years but he had managed to get away. He had become smarter in his efforts. Unlike in his favorite movies, the Jason Bourne movies, where he was able to escape with weapons and impressive martial art skills, his abilities were a little more unexplainable. He didn't need weapons, he was his own weapon. He exited the hotel and walked along the street, scanning the Convention crowds as he blended in. He bound up the steps of the Convention Hall. His steps were careful, he made no eye contact and kept his head down. He passed through the metal detector and presented his ticket. He wore a hoodie and smiled at the girl flirting with him at the counter, content that his identity was in fact concealed. He was risking a lot to come to a place like this and being picked up on camera could possibly end his mission. And so he swapped out his identities as quickly as he could, moving along the crowded Convention Hall, pass booths and Celebrity Areas, searching for the massive auditorium, which was why he had came. But, he couldn't shrug the feeling that the Old Man was still out there searching for him.

For five years now he had been on the run, living in different parts of the country, moving from hotel rooms to apartments, and living under bridges and riding in train cars, traveling all over the U.S. He dawned various faces and identities, all in the name of anonymity. He'd missed out on everything in his life in the past five years and he was growing tired of the constant running. His life was on permanent hiatus and it was becoming too much for him. At times he wasn't even sure if anyone were even still looking for him. It was the main reason he was there in a crowded convention hall full of believers. He needed to know if he was still a target. What Jackson truly wanted to know, was whether he had to keep running for the rest of his life. And if the Old Man was still a threat to him. Would he ever stop running?

He'd eliminated as many in the Syndicate as he could but he was sure they were still out lurking in the depths and searching for him. And there was no other way he could find the truth except to insert himself into the fire. Jackson knew that even if they found him, he could easily kill them. He was capable of hiding his identity, but only for short stints of time and he was incapable of disguising himself to everyone that looked at him. Jackson glanced over his shoulder as he moved through the crowds. He had to keep on his feet, keep moving without looking suspicious or drawing attention to anyone, especially THEM. He needed to succeed in his plan. He was there seeking answers from the only man he suspected knew whether or not the Old Man was still alive. Someone that held the key to who he in fact was and whether in his life if would ever live in peace.

Jackson strolled through the convention hall, scanning the faces of the people as he went. He walked past the booths and waited in the long lines for the main event, a panel of speakers, experts on the UFO phenomenon. He sat down in the small uncomfortable seats in the main auditorium. He was waiting to hear the experts speak, one in particular. He knew it was a massive risk coming this close to his enemies but he also knew that if they came after him, he would make them pay. Jackson caught a glimpse of himself off a woman's cellphone. He was wearing a baseball cap with his hair temporarily dyed blond hair and a grey hoodie with a denim jacket. He was sporting a new identity, looking like a man of his early thirties. But despite the image he was projecting, he was always startled by his actual image. He was older now, well into the age of twenty one, tired and restless. He moved past others and seated himself in the middle of an empty aisle. He was not surprised when an elderly woman sat next to him. "Good morning," she spoke.

"Good morning," he answered.

"I'm looking forward to this panel," she said. " _THE_ Dean Richards will be here. I'm a big fan of Dean Richards. I have all of his books at home, except the last one, UFO Planet. That one I didn't like."

He smiled. He was used to the chitchat. He seemed to be a magnet for elderly who saw a young man seated alone and felt the need to strike up a conversation. People were filling up the aisles, pouring in from all directions as it neared the time for the UFO Author's Panel. It was such an hot topic that Jackson was sure government operatives would be there undercover monitoring the panelists who were slated to reveal their latest theory on the ongoing UFO reality. Jackson was just one in a crowd, unseen and unheard.

The elderly woman turned to him. "You here alone?"

"I just wanted to hear what they had to say," he answered. "I've heard the government was in agreement with the Aliens. I'm curious. I wanna see what these speakers have to say about it."

The woman nodded her head. "I hear that. The world is changing. So many people believe nowadays. They don't call you crazy no more."

"No they don't," he said, sitting back comfortably in his seat.

He stared at the stage where a long table was set up facing the audience. A woman worked quickly, placing name-tags face down in front of each seat. She returned to add water pitchers and drinking glasses in front of each microphone. Jackson knew the talk would soon begin. There was a speaker in particular he had come to see. A man that he suspected had ties to the fallen Syndicate and their many offshoots. The elusive Dr. Bill Bryant had written numerous books and given countless lectures in the past on the subjects of Human Alien hybrids and the secret black government programs operating without oversight. Jackson knew that Dr. Bryant was far too knowledgeable to have hoaxed most of the information in his books. He was determined to speak with him, somehow. Dr. Bill Bryant had chosen this moment to return to the UFO Community, which was a rare opportunity. If he couldn't talk to him now, he might not get the chance again.

Jackson scanned the area, looking to see anyone staring in his direction. He relaxed only slightly as he sat next to the elderly woman who pulled candy out of her purse to give to him. He thanked her and glanced around him. There were people dressed as Aliens, and others with UFO themed t-shirts creating a sideshow atmosphere, intermixed with serious scholars who were attending as well. He was waiting for Dr. Bryant to settle down at the table on stage and he was nervous. It was a rare and bold move for the Doctor to make an appearance. He was a private man, and this would be his first appearance in over twenty years. Dr. Bryant was world renown. He was a recluse, shutting out the world and turning down all interviews. Dr. Bryant was the only person that could possibly tell him if the Old Man was still alive, which meant his life was still in danger.

Dr. Bryant had claimed to be involved in creating Alien Hybrid children through a secret government program. He'd offered lectures on the subject and made appearances at MUFON meetings. And then one day the books and the appearances stopped after a man approached him. A man that smoked cigarettes that had been his secret employer. A man that should have been dead long ago. That appearance by the Old Man had caused Dr. Bryant to go into hiding for years. And now he had resurfaced. Jackson needed to question him about the Old Man. He needed to know as much information as he could about the man he still saw in his visions. His father.

Dr. Bryant suddenly walked out on stage accompanied by a man that he was surprised to see. He sat up in his seat, watching as they chatted and shook hands. He swallowed hard as he stared at the dark haired man. Two other men surrounded them, as they all introduced themselves. Dr. Bryant placed a hand on the back of the tall man's shoulder as they all sat down at the table facing the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as a petite woman walked past him down the center aisle as a tiny version of herself clung to her. He watched as they seated themselves in the first row, the small child pacified with a bag of animal crackers. He stared at them, noticing the way the man waved to the woman and child. He watched as the man walked down from the stage and picked the small child up in his arms.

He needed to get closer. He stood up and moved just three rows away from them. He refocused on the woman and child as the child hopped down from the dark haired man's arms and sat back in her seat before jumping back down on the ground and twirling around next to her mother. He watched in fascination until the child stopped and stared at him. He watched as the mother turned in his direction. She twisted around, trying to find what her daughter was staring at. She settled upon him, but turned away. There would be no way she could recognize him. Not with his current projection. He was now projecting the face of an elderly black man that he knew she and most people saw when they looked at him. Jackson could see her red hair had white and grey streaks running through the shoulder length red strains. The man too had silver streaks and a few more creases to his face, but overall, they looked the same as he'd seen them last. They were healthy and fit and busy with the child clinging to them. He focused back onto his mother. She seemed a little tired. The little girl was a ball of energy, playing as her parents talked. To anyone that saw them, there was no mistaken that they were older parents. They had a glow and a pride written all over their faces when they looked at her. Jackson was sure it couldn't be easy trying to raise such a young child at their ages.

"I've gotta get back on stage," he heard the man say.

Dana Scully looked down at the little girl who was playing with a cloth doll and singing quietly to herself. Jackson watched as the man kissed the lips of his mother. He noticed a wedding ring on the elderly man's finger. He watched as he kissed the top of the child's head and then headed back on stage, seating himself back in place. The moderator came out and spoke to each of the panelist at the table. Each of the Special Guests lifted up their name tags and Jackson focused on each one. Dr. Bill Bryant, the man he had come to see was seated near the moderator. He looked nervous, paranoid, as he looked out at the crowd. Next to him, was Dean Richards, author of the book, Star Moon along with UFO Researcher, Henry Mursk. And then there was Former FBI Agent, Fox Mulder, whose full attention was on his wife and child. Fox Mulder was looking at his family adoringly even from the stage.

The auditorium was buzzing with excitement and so Jackson moved once again, closer to his mother. He sat in the seat behind her to her left, dawning yet another image just as quickly as he had before. He needed to be able to watch her as she catered to the child. He felt a pang in his heart as he observed her. She was so attentive and so caring to the little girl. He sat back in his seat, trying to tear himself away from them. He needed to focus on the reason he was there, Dr. Bryant. The panel began and after what felt like an eternity as the moderator explained each Panel guest to the audience, the Panel begun. Jackson waited eagerly to hear Dr. Bryant speak. Dr. Bryant was a short and stubby man who eyed the exits carefully. He cleared his throat to speak. He coughed as his eyes darted around the room. "UFO's," he began. "Are a government sanctioned hoax."

There was a collective gasp from the crowd. Mulder locked eyes with Scully and then turned back to Dr. Bryant.

"This will be my last appearance," Doctor Bryant spoke. "Everything I wrote in the past was all a Lie," he said, standing up and running off stage.

Jackson watched as a group of men dressed in black suits stood up from the audience and pushed open the exit of the auditorium that lead to the street. The remaining members of the panel waited as the Moderator attempted to calm the crowds. Fox Mulder's turned back to look at his wife. They exchanged a look and then the moderator of the panel moved on to the next speaker.

Speaker, Dean Richards began to speak but Jackson was distracted by the red headed child that was standing in her seat next to her mother, staring at him. He knew from experience that occasionally there was a young child that could see through the disguises he projected and could see the real him. She was staring at him and waving. He waved back but then turned his head just as her mother turned to look in his direction. He stared straight ahead of him at the stage, focusing on the words of Dean Richards. She continued to stare until finally turning her head back. He knew he was too close. He should've left. He was only there to hear Doctor Bryant speak. Jackson also knew that if he left at that moment. he could possibly catch up to Dr. Bryant in the parking lot and ask the questions he'd been dying to ask for the past five years, having stumbled upon Dr. Bryan'ts books while on the run. These books had kept him going during the many nights he'd slept in rundown hotels and under bridges, trying to hide from men he knew where searching for him. These books were untraceable, unlike the internet which could lead the Old Man straight to him. He had to stay underground and research as much as he can with as little as he could. Jackson knew he should leave right then and there but he couldn't move. He needed to hear what Fox Mulder had to say. Why was he still sitting there? He knew there was more than a little curiosity to see more of his mother and the young child, he realized was his half sister.

"Hello, my name is Fox Mulder, and I'm a former FBI Agent," Mulder said, nervously. "I used to head a Division within the FBI called The X-Files. My partner and I investigated the Paranormal, that included UFO's and the Government Conspiracy to hide the existence of Aliens from the Public."

The next speaker introduced themselves and then the discussion begin. Jackson listened to Mulder and the Panelists as they argued back and forth. He watched as his mother held the sleeping child in her arms, lovingly kissing her brow as she slept through the talk. He tore his eyes away from her to observe Fox Mulder, seeing habits that were similar to himself. He listened to Mulder's shocking stories, noticing the prideful smiles on Scully's lips as she nodded in agreement. Jackson hadn't been that curious about either one of them in some time. He had no information about their careers and knew nothing about them fighting against the Conspiracy. Listening to Mulder speak about Syndicate was all new to him. After the talk had ended, he continued to sit in his seat until nearly everyone had left the hall. He watched as Fox Mulder reunited with Dana Scully and picked the sleeping child up in his arms. Mulder followed Scully back onto the stage, where he knew they would exit on the side of the Convention Hall. He switched identities as quickly as he could following them out onto the street. He scanned the sidewalk, hoping he hadn't lost them.

He spotted Fox Mulder opening the door of a black SUV parked on the street, placing the sleeping child in a car seat. Dana Scully slid into the passenger seat and Mulder into the drivers seat. He raced to the nearest car and touched the keyhole, immediately unlocked the car door. He slid into the seat and started the car without a key. He watched as the black SUV pulled out into traffic. He was grateful that The Mulder's had been trapped in wall to wall D.C. traffic holding them in place. He pulled out of the parking spot and followed them from as much distance as he felt was comfortable. He drove on as the city faded, driving into Virginia as the landscape transformed to green pastures and crumbling barns. He drove on, slowing down at the end of a dead end road where their small farmhouse sat. He could see them in the distance with Fox Mulder carrying the sleeping child and Dana Scully's arms filled with numerous shopping bags. He watched as they climbed the steps and his mother disappeared in the house. But Fox Mulder was staring on the porch in his direction, the child now awake in his arms until disappearing inside the home.

Jackson sat in his car idling, pondering his next move. He sighed and made a U-turn, heading back towards the city. He thought back to the look he saw on his mother's face as she stared at his half sister. He also thought about the stories that Fox Mulder told, of how they fought against the Syndicate. He realized that perhaps his mother and her husband, Fox Mulder, was in fact the best option to getting the answers he sought. Jackson suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and made another U-turn. He drove back down the long dirt road that lead to the singular home at the dead end road. He pulled up in front of the home. He could see Fox Mulder glancing out of the window through the curtains. Jackson sighed as he wiped his hands nervously on his jeans. He stared back at the door, before shutting off the car engine.

Mulder quickly unlocked his gun case hanging high on the wall out of reach of Zoe and added bullets to his gun. Mulder could see that Scully had disappeared into their bedroom with their daughter, unaware of the stranger that had been following them and had now pulled up to their home. Mulder turned back to the window and watched as the man opened his car door.

Fox Mulder carefully opened the side door, walking along the front porch, his gun pointed in the direction of the stranger. The man threw up his hands, as Mulder quickly bound down the steps, pointing at his head. "First you follow us from D.C. Who sent You?", Mulder screamed, at the blond haired man in a hoodie with a hat covering most of his face.

"It's Jackson Van DeKamp," he said, his arms still raised. Mulder stepped back, bewildered. Mulder snatched the hat off of the man's head, noticing long shoulder length blond hair spill out. Mulder looked into the young man's eyes and stepped back, in disbelief. "Son?", Mulder asked.

"Look, I know it's been five years and I told you' that you'd never see me again but...", Jackson said. "I saw you and my mother at the convention today and I followed you here."

Mulder wrapped his arm around the younger man, holding him tightly. Jackson continued to stammer. "I almost drove off but..."

"WILLIAM," Mulder said, looking into the younger man's eyes. "You're home."

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	4. Chapter 4

**Starting Over**

 **Part 4**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit.**

 **Belle Haven, Virginia. The Unremarkable House.**

"Blond hair?", Mulder questioned.

"It washes out," Jackson said, as he looked at Mulder. "I didn't know where you lived," he stammered. "I followed you when I saw you at the Convention Hall. The last time I saw you or my mother, it was in Norfolk. So, when I saw you, I followed you. I had no idea you'd both would be there."

Mulder glanced over to porch where the red headed child appeared. She waved towards the stranger as she watched him with her father.

Mulder sighed. "Your mother will be so thrilled to see you."

William nodded his head. "It was just a coincidence that we were all there at the same place."

Mulder smiled. "Your mom has worried about you for the past five years. She knew you were alive."

"I know, I can feel her."

Mulder placed a hand on the young man's shoulders but wasn't surprised when Jackson stepped back creating a slight distance. He was tall, just like himself, and freshly shaven and thin as if he'd missed a few meals. "I'm not used to people touching me."

Mulder stared at his son. "I get it. I was on the run for awhile myself. It can be lonely."

Jackson pulled out a cigarette and lit it, much to Mulder's surprise. He puffed on the cancer stick as he glanced occasionally to his sister who was watching him closely.

"Come on, your mom would love to see you."

Jackson glanced down at his feet. "I'm nervous to see her," he confessed. "The last time I saw her, I spoke to her only for a moment."

Mulder patted his back. "She'll be so happy."

Jackson stared again at the door. "I'm not sure I'm ready", he said, glancing up to the porch where Zoe stood, her hand on the door. He stared back into Mulder's eyes.

Mulder stood next to him. He watched as Jackson wrung his hands nervously as he glanced back and forth up to the now empty porch. Mulder could hear Zoe's favorite kid friendly CD blasting from inside the small home. "What do you need to know? You can ask me right now, right here. What do you want to know?"

William stared at Mulder. "That Old man, the one that's after me. The one that shot me in the head."

"He's my father," Mulder said.

William cocked his head to the side and shook his head. "I don't get that. He's your father too?"

"My mother had an affair with him. And my sister and I were born. His children born of a secret affair. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that's he's completely evil."

"So there's a sister too?"

"She's dead. It's a long story."

"So, who was his second born son?", William asked. "He said that to me that night on the docks before he shot me in the head. He said, he had shot his second born."

Mulder turned to look at him. "His legitimate son, Jeffrey Spender. He's still alive. He is the reason you were placed with the Van De Kamps."

William stood in silence, taking it all in. "So, you and my mother..."

"Are married. Been married a long time," Mulder said. "I'm your father, William. I AM Your Father."

Jackson shook his head no. "When I see my father in my mind. It's not you. I'm connected to my father."

Mulder sighed heavily. "He experimented on me. Took pieces of my brain. I never found out exactly what he did, but perhaps that's why you feel connected to him instead of me. But, I AM your father."

"How? How are YOU my father?"

Mulder stared at his son. "We believe he tampered with your mom. We're not exactly sure how he did it. But it was not the first time. We thought we created you naturally. Our miracle child. But, she may have had help. Nevertheless, William, I am your biological father. Your mom has been through hell."

William stared back at Mulder. "I know nothing about either of you."

Mulder shook his head. "Your mom is the strongest person I know. She's gone through more than you can imagine. And all she wanted was you."

Jackson sighed. "My adopted parents were my parents, but I always saw her in my mind. I wasn't always sure why.."

"You're special."

"Special, right.", William huffed. "I can manipulate what people see, I can kill people at will. I can see the future. Yet, I couldn't stop my parents from being murdered. And my life has been destroyed. Yeah, Special. More like cursed."

Mulder sighed. "Your mom has done nothing but worry about you for so long, William."

"Jackson."

Mulder swallowed hard. "I'll try to use the name Jackson, but you will always be William to us. That's what your mom named you."

Jackson looked at Mulder. He could feel a bubbling of unexpected emotions and questions he'd pondered for the past twenty one years. "Why did she give me up then? She said it was to protect me but..."

"Your mother was ALWAYS tried to protect you. There were people coming after you. They tried to kill you. Your mom and your grandmother were hurt. And they kept coming for you. Your mom figured the only way they couldn't come after you was if neither of us knew where you were. That way, you would be safe. It was a heart wrenching decision and one that eats at her daily."

Jackson turned to stare at Mulder. "Where were you?"

Mulder could feel the guilt settle back into his gut. "Lets just say, they got me out of the way so they could come after you and your mom. She did what she thought was right, to keep you safe."

Jackson could see images in his mind of a young Dana Scully holding and singing to him. He sighed. "I know she loves me."

"More than you could possibly know," Mulder added.

"Things in my life were going great as I grew up until those men found me and killed my adopted parents. And now I worry everyday that he's still out there. Still searching for me."

"We had them comb the waters and we never found his body or yours. CGB is hard to kill."

Jackson looked at Mulder. "That's his name? CGB."

"CGB Spender," Mulder added. "Which is an alias in itself. No one knows who he really is."

"I'm tired of running," Jackson said. "My life completely changed that day. I was seventeen years old. My biggest concern was juggling two girlfriends. I wasn't even able to attend the funeral of my adopted parents. I've looked over my shoulders now for so long."

Mulder turned to look at his son. "For several months, I was on the run by myself," he said, thinking about the time he'd fled to the Indian Reservation with Gibson Praise, leaving Scully to care for their newborn son alone. "I've never been lonelier in my life then in that period. I could only imagine the past five years for you."

Jackson glanced back at the stolen car he arrived in. "I'm not really sure why I came," he said more to himself. "I was at the convention to hear Dr. Bryant speak. I wasn't meaning to even find her," he said. "It was a coincidence that you both were there."

"So, you were projecting yourself as someone else, " Mulder said. "That's why we didn't see you. But, I did notice you following us."

"And to think I thought I was good at it."

Mulder stared at his son. "We're former FBI Agents. That's one thing I notice pretty quickly."

Jackson smirked. "I'm more used to running away from people than chasing after them."

Mulder smiled. "I guess it was an enormous surprise to see your mom there at the conference, after all these year."

"I never thought I'd see her again," Jackson said, looking nervously at the front door. He smoothed his hands over his clothes.

Mulder placed his hand on William's shoulder. "Come on in, she needs to see you."

Jackson followed Mulder up the steps, dodging kids toys with every step. Mulder opened the screen door and they walked straight into the living room. Jackson could see into the kitchen where his mother was standing, her back to them as she placed a sandwich on a plate. The small child was seated at the table singing along to her kid friendly songs as Scully danced and mumbled along. Scully turned and dropped the grilled cheese sandwich on the floor. "William!", she said, cupping her mouth. "Oh My GOD, William!"

Jackson stood there, staring at his mother and his sister. Mulder placed a hand on Jackson's shoulder. Scully rushed to him and pulled him down into her arms, holding her son for the first time since she'd given him up. He could feel her shaking in his arms as tears streaked down her cheeks. Jackson could feel the warmth of her small arms surround him for the first time since he was a baby. He held her as she cried into his arms. After an eternity, Scully pulled back and searched her sons eyes as she cupped his face. She hadn't seen the real him since he was a baby. The last time she saw him, five years ago, he appeared as someone else. Scully could see his features. He was older with evidence on his face of a shaved mustache and beard. She could see the dark black roots of his hair peeking through his temporary dye job. She smoothed her hand over the blond locks and wiped at her tears. "My son...", she kept saying. "My son."

Zoe began to sniffle as she watched her mother cry. Mulder quickly grabbed Zoe up from her booster seat and brought her to them both. "Sssh, Mommy's okay. This is your brother Zoe. This is your brother, William"

Zoe stared at the Jackson but turned away from him, resting her head against Mulder's shoulder as he held her. Scully pulled back from William and touched his cheek. He could see the vast swirls of emotions in her eyes as she stared at him, her hand running over his hair as she stood on her tiptoes. "Where've you been?", she gasped. "Where were you? I thought you were dead..."

Jackson glanced down to the floor. "I've been in hiding."

"Hiding from Us? We've only wanted you."

Jackson shook his head. "From that Old Man. I'm pretty sure he's still after me."

Scully turned to look at Mulder. "How? Mulder?"

Jackson answered. "I was at the convention today. I sat behind you."

"I didn't see you but then again, I wouldn't see you, would I?"

"No," he said.

Scully wiped at her tears. "We thought you were dead," she said, staring into his eyes. "But then I felt you. I knew you were alive," she smiled through her tears. "I could feel you. And sometimes, I still share your dreams."

"I know," Jackson stated. "I'm still connected to you."

"The last time we saw you, your father told me we'd lost you," Scully said, as she stared into Jackson's dark eyes.

He sighed heavily. "I thought it was better if I just stayed away."

"You're our son. You belong here with us," she said, almost hysterically. Mulder placed a hand on Scully's shoulder, calming her. "You belong here with us."

Scully gripped Jackson's arm, afraid he would disappear from her if she let him go. She ran her fingers through his dyed hair, noticing that he looked nearly identical to Mulder, even more so now that he was twenty one years old. "You looked like me as a baby but the older you've gotten, the more you look like your father," she smiled.

Jackson looked over to Mulder who was grinning proudly but William glanced down at his feet. His father was a sore subject for him.

"Are you hungry?", Scully asked, still gripping his arm.

"Yeah, I guess I could eat."

Mulder turned to Zoe, watching as she peeked towards her brother. She was still nervously curled up in his arms, but he could tell she was curious about him.

"What's her name?", Jackson asked.

"It's Zoe," Mulder answered.

"How old is she?"

"She's four," Scully smiled. "She's being shy."

Jackson reached out and touched his sisters hand. Zoe turned towards him and stared deep into his eyes. She turned away and clung to her father even tighter. "You know, Zoe. I was a red head when I was little too."

Scully smiled as she watched their oldest child reaching out to their youngest. But Zoe kept her head buried in the crook of Mulder's neck.

"Give her some time," Mulder said. "She's pretty shy until she gets to know you."

William reached out and touched Zoe's arm again. "Hi, Zoe, I'm your brother. I'm Jackson."

Zoe grinned as she turned to look at him, while still clinging safely around her fathers neck.

"Come on," Scully said. "I'll fix you something to eat."

Jackson nodded. "Okay," he said, following Mulder to the kitchen. Mulder placed Zoe into her booster seat and then sat across from his son at the kitchen table. Mulder could see Scully nervously and excitedly whipping around the kitchen, as Zoe turned towards her brother. "Mommy," Zoe said. "He's my brother?"

Scully locked eyes with Mulder and then looked back at their daughter. "Zoe, honey. Mommy and Daddy had your brother first before we had you."

"Is his name William or is it Jackson?", Zoe asked.

"Both," Scully answered. "It's both."

Mulder stood up and placed a hand on top of Scully's and looked down into her eyes. She was a nervous wreak. "Scully! I'll order us some pizza, okay. Calm down. Just come sit down and talk with your son."

Scully turned towards William. Jackson could feel her excitement as well as her fears as Mulder guided her back to the table. "I've imagined this moment so many times," she said, as fresh tears appeared. "So many scenarios."

Jackson nodded his head. "I never knew where you lived. I might've come earlier if I had."

Mulder grabbed his cellphone and ordered the pizzas. "Where did you run?", Mulder asked his son.

Jackson sat back in the chair. "Everywhere really. California, Montana, Florida...wherever I could," he said. "I've been looking over my shoulder since I was seventeen. My entire life has been underground."

"You can't run forever."

"I really don't have much of a choice right now," Jackson said.

"Maybe we can help with that."

"I don't see how," Jackson said, shaking his head. "I don't see how you can make a difference."

Mulder stared into his son's eyes. "We have connections. People that have helped us when we needed it. People connected to our deceased friends called The Lone Gunmen. They'll help us."

Scully reached out and grasped William's hand. "I'm so happy. I...can't believe you're here. I hope you'll stay."

Jackson smiled at her. "I don't know about that..."

Zoe was curious. "Why is your name Jackson William or William Jackson?"

Jackson chuckled. "I see you're pretty intelligent."

Zoe grabbed her doll and shove it into William's face."This is Mrs. Tolbert."

Jackson nodded towards the doll. "Hi, Mrs. Tolbert."

Zoe continued to watch him out the corner of her eye as she played with her doll. There was a knock on the door and Jackson jumped up nervously. Mulder held out his hand as he stood up. "The pizza place is down the road. Ever since they set up shop, we've been their best customer."

Scully watched Mulder open the door and retrieve the pizza's. She turned her attention back to her son. "I'm so grateful to be sitting here with you," she sighed. "I can't tell you what this means to me."

Jackson nodded his head. "You know, I know nothing about you."

Scully looked surprised. "Well, I'm an open book," Scully said. "Whatever you need to know, just ask."

Mulder returned to the table and grabbed up a few plates. He placed the steaming hot pizzas on the table. Mulder placed a piece on Zoe's pink toddler plate. She eagerly began to eat until Scully cleared her throat, glaring at their daughter. Zoe looked embarrassed before dropping the piece and wiping her hands on her napkin. Both Scully and Zoe said their blessing and made the sign of the cross before Scully glanced up, noticing that like Mulder, William had not joined in.

"I wasn't raised Catholic," Jackson added.

"How did you find us?", Scully questioned. "And why did you run from us?", she asked, the question that was pressing on her heart for the past five years.

Jackson tapped his finger against the table. "A lot of things were happening at the time. I was accused of killing my parents. I did kill those people that came after me. I had to leave both of my girlfriends behind, my best friends. My only friends. I realized that by using my powers, they could find me. And then there you were," he said, looking at Scully. "And then that Old man, my father, had shot me in the head."

Scully looked stunned. "He's your father," she said pointing to Mulder. "Wait. Who did you think was your father?"

"I see the Old Man in my mind. He's my father."

Scully shook her head. "No. Fox William Mulder is your father."

Mulder stood up and retreated to his office. He returned with a piece of paper in his hands. He gave it to Jackson.

Jackson read and reread the paternity results and looked up at Mulder. "All this time, I was trying to figure out why you thought you were my father and how exactly was that bastard my father," he said, looking at Scully. "I'm relieved that he isn't."

Mulder pointed to the paper. "CGB did play a role in your creation but I am your biological father."

"Your father and I have been together for thirty years."

"Not all of it intimate," Mulder whispered.

"But on every other level, we've been together," Scully added. "There was no one else but the two of us. You were created out of love."

William sighed. "No matter how old you are, you still don't want to hear about your parents...you know."

Scully and Mulder both smirked.

Jacksons sighed. "That old man, is he still out there? Is he still looking for me? How long will I have to run?"

Scully looked at Mulder. "CGB won't die, will he?"

"No, he won't. But he can be defeated, Scully."

"We've spent our entire lives fighting against him and now our son is spending his life fighting him too," she said, angrily.

"No offense, " William said, placing a slice of pizza to his lips. "But, you can't fight him. Only I can. And what I want," he said, stuffing his mouth with pepperoni pizza. "Is to not be found."

Mulder glanced at Scully and then back to William. "How have you avoided being found?"

"I move around in circles no one notices, disguising myself as homeless veterans mostly. No one pays attention to them."

Mulder noticed that Scully was too nervous to eat. He sighed. "I wasn't supposed to even speak at this convention today. I was invited last minute. I guess someone is watching out for us."

Scully reached out and squeezed her son's hand. "I hope you'll stay with us William?", she said, looking from him to his sister.

"I can probably stay just a few days. I don't want to put you in danger."

Scully touched William's shoulder. "Maybe he's not looking. He's left us alone for the past five years and believe me, he would've made himself known."

"If he's out there," Jackson said. "He'll find me here and hurt you and I can't have that."

Zoe placed her doll down. "Brother, will you play with me?"

William smiled. "Yeah, I'll play with you. What can we play?"

Zoe pushed her chair back and then jumped out of from her booster seat. "Cars!", she said, running towards her toybox.

Mulder and Scully watched as Zoe pulled out every toy in her toy box until she had reached the set of cars. She placed the plastic cars on the floor and ushered her brother over. Scully could tell that William hadn't had a good meal in a long while. He was tall and thin which concerned her. William scarfed his food down quickly and then sat with his sister against the couch.

Scully watched as Mulder picked up the rest of the toys, returning them to the box. Mulder followed them to the sofa in front of them as Scully retreated to their bedroom. She returned with a stack of photos. "This is from your house, with the Van De Kamps."

William scanned through the photos and came to the one where he was dressed in his baseball uniform and hat. His hair was beginning to transition from red to black in the photo. He glanced at his sister who was playing around him, crashing cars into each other.

Scully smiled. "You look a lot alike especially then. You and Zoe."

"She's not like me, is she?", he said. "She's normal, right?"

Scully squatted on the floor next to them. "Yeah, she's perfectly fine."

William touched his mother's arm. "I know you've worried about me. No, I haven't had a good meal in a long time. And no, I don't sleep much. It's not something I can afford to do. I know you love me. But, after this visit, I won't be found again. You'll have to let me go."

Scully shook her head. "I'm your mother, William. That's impossible. There's no way I can let you go. Not ever again."

 **Please Leave Feedback: Thanks**!


	5. Chapter 5

**Starting Over**

 **Part 5**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: Belle Haven, Virginia. 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**.

 ***Jackson is William and William is Jackson**.*

Jackson felt himself falling asleep. He closed his eyes as his head fell back against the couch cushion. He awoke to see Zoe holding his eyelid open, as she pressed her eyeball up to his. He smiled as she pulled back. "What does a brother do?", she asked him.

"I dunno. I've never been a brother before," he said, looking around the home. He could see that Scully was nervously cleaning until she noticed he was awake. "William, let me show you to your room."

He stood up and followed Scully down the hall. She pushed open the bedroom door and he was surprised to see a room decorated in kids sports memorabilia. "Your dad and I decorated this a long time ago," she said, embarrassed. "We always knew we'd find you, it was just a matter of when and how."

"My baby pictures?", he said, as he glanced at the walls. "You have my baby pictures?", he said, looking at photos he'd never seen before, his newborn photos and some when he was a few months old.

Scully exhaled. "You were with me until you were six months old. I didn't want to give you up but people kept trying to kill you and I."

William looked down into his mother's eyes. She was small with greying red hair. She looked tired but he could tell she was a determined woman. "My mom was always taking pictures of me," he said, noticing as a sadness creep into Scully's eyes. He felt guilty for mentioning his adoptive mother. "My mom was always documenting my every move on video or photos as I grew up."

Scully swallowed hard and smiled. "I'm grateful for that. We went back to the Van De Kamps home and I got all the photo albums and videos I could find of you as a child. I know them by heart."

He stared at the wall with the name William spelled out with colorful wooden letters. "I didn't know my name was William until you told me that, five years ago. I had been Jackson my whole life."

"When Zoe was old enough, we told her this was her brother's room. As you can see, she still doesn't quite grasp the concept of a brother yet, though."

William glanced around. "It reminds me of my room in Wyoming on the farm when I was growing up. Baseball caps and baseball decor all over the walls. When I was like ten that's when we had to move from the farm because of my powers."

Scully turned to him. "When you were born, I saw what you could do. People came after us because of it. Your Uncle, your dad's half brother..."

"Jeffrey Spender," he said, when her eyes enlarged. "Fox...I mean, my..."

"Dad," Scully interjected.

"Yeah, my dad told me a little about him when we were outside."

"Your Uncle Jeffrey thought that injecting you with this mineral, I forgot the name... would make you normal. It worked. I thought you were normal and would live your life safe and away from harm. We didn't know the affects of the mineral wouldn't last long. Your uncle had you placed with the Van De Kamps. Your father nor I would know where you were."

Scully touched her son's arm. "William, you have been in my heart and on my mind forever. I didn't know how you came to be because I was told I was barren. And so your father and I were worried they had experimented on me. That fear apparently was justified. Your powers...we still weren't sure just how it all happened. And no matter what was in the past or will happen in the future, William. Jackson," she corrected herself. "You are our son and you are welcome here."

He nodded his head. "Thanks," he said. "I wish I could stay but, I won't be able too. I hope you understand. I'll stay a few days but once he becomes aware of my whereabouts, he'll come after me."

"How do you know he's still out there?"

"I don't. I just feel it."

Scully turned to him. "Why didn't you appear to me as yourself when we saw you last? Why did you appear to me as Mr. Masamoto and as Mulder when you appeared to me?"

William could tell that the question had haunted her for some time.

William ducked his head. "I think I was afraid."

"Of me?", she said, astonished.

"Not exactly. But, every adopted kid is afraid of what might happen if they met their biological mother," he said. "I guess it was easier to gauge you if I were someone else."

"I know you could feel me,' Scully said. "Just like you were sending me dreams. I know in my bones that you could feel me. So you knew what kind of a person I was..."

William looked sincerely into her eyes. "All I can say is that I'm sorry for that."

Scully moved over to the bed. She removed the old sheet and handed him the end of the new sheet. William tucked one end under the mattress while she worked on her end. William turned to see Mulder standing in the doorway. He smiled at them both. "William, Zoe wanted you to hurry up. She wants to show you her favorite tv shows. That means she's warming up to you."

William nodded his head. "Yeah, sure. I will in a minute," he said, looking at his parents.

Scully took one last look at William and sighed contentedly. Mulder placed a hand on her shoulder as they both stared at their son. "I'm glad your home. We've waited a long time for this," he said, before closing William's bedroom door behind her.

William walked over to the bedroom walls noticing the photos of himself as a baby. He studied the photos, noticing that he was a happy baby as his mother peered at him adoringly. He closed the door behind him and headed for the living room.

Zoe eagerly approached him and then stopped, placing her doll in front of her. She smiled at William. "Mrs. Tolbert said, you're my big brother so you have to sit down with me like daddy does and watch my favorite show."

William glanced at the screen. "A preschooler show?"

Mulder added. "Moo Moo Cow, so yeah."

William sat down on the floor with his back to the sofa next to Zoe. She grabbed the remote and pushed play. "This is the Littlest Princess Show and she's a Princess just like me."

William chuckled. "I haven't seen stuff like this in so long."

Mulder pulled up a kitchen chair, watching as Scully snapped cellphone photos of them as Zoe posed for every photo. William was absorbed in Zoe's show, oblivious to all that was around him. Mulder turned to him. "Is there any questions you have of us?"

William used the remote to turn off the tv show. "You two? Well, yeah. Like, what's your story?"

Scully glanced from her two children to Mulder. "It was love at first sight to be honest. We were FBI Agents."

William smiled and shook his head. "Seems weird to me to think of my parents as FBI Agents."

Mulder and Scully turned to look at each other, a smirk on their lips.

"I was assigned to work with your dad in his division that he had created. The X-Files. I had only heard of him by reputation."

"The division you created?", William said, to Mulder. " Called The X-Files?", he said. "You were talking about it at the convention. You both worked on Paranormal cases? UFO's and ghosts?"

Mulder smiled. "Yeah, you're mom was sent to debunk my work, but that's not what happened."

Scully smiled as she looked at her family. "Thirty years and two kids later, Mulder..."

Mulder chuckled. "You're right. And still in love."

They locked eyes and smiled. Zoe slapped her head. "They are always kissing," she whispered to William. "It's GROSS!"

William laughed as he looked at his parents and then his sister. "So, that last time I saw you on the docks," he said to Scully. "You were pregnant with Zoe then?"

Scully picked up the four year old who was fighting to be put back down on the floor. "Yeah. I found out the day before I saw you on the docks."

William nodded his head. "It's kind of weird for me," he said, looking between them. "I mean, one minute I'm on my own and right now I'm sitting here with my biological parents and my kid sister, one I didn't know existed."

Mulder sat back in the chair. "It's overwhelming, isn't it."

"It is," William said, looking around him.

Scully cocked her head to the side. "What do you need to know about us? You can ask us anything."

William stared at his mother. "Growing up, I always saw you in my head," he said. "Singing to me. I saw you smiling at me. I knew you were my mother but I knew nothing else about you."

Scully placed Zoe back on the floor and sat down next to William. She placed his hand into hers. "You're twenty one now. I've missed nearly everyday of your life," she said, as her tears returned, streaming down her cheeks. Mulder reached out and wiped them away. He sat back, ready to be Scully's strength if she needed it. Scully used her shirt sleeve to dab at her eyes. "I'm afraid you'll never know how much I loved you. How much WE loved you. I'm scared that you'll never understand what I did."

William sighed. "I had a great life up to a point. My adoptive parents loved me. I never had any doubt that you loved me too," he said, looking into her eyes. "I know it wasn't because you didn't want me. I mean, growing up, I'd be lying if it didn't cross my mind once or twice. But mainly, I just wanted to know who you were. Where you were and why you gave me up."

"Not a day went by that I wasn't thinking of you," she sighed.

"Every holiday too" Mulder added. "Every birthday."

William sighed. "I have questions but there's too many to ask."

"Whatever questions you have, we can answer them," Scully answered.

William shrugged his shoulders. "When you're in hiding, all you do have is time to think," William said. "I've wondered about you both. I didn't know you were my father," he said, looking at Mulder. He turned his attention back to Scully. "I did want to know you more."

Scully wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"You know, we were on the run for a few years ourselves," Mulder added. "I was wanted for a crime I didn't commit," Mulder added. "They tried to kill me after falsely imprisoning me and so I escaped and we ran together. We still have a few places we can go if ever we need too."

William stared at his father. "How did you get your record cleared?"

Mulder sighed. "I had help. Our old boss wiped your moms record clean and the FBI later wiped mine clean. This house is where I was hiding out in," Mulder said. "Scully worked at the hospital and we lived here together as I hid out here."

William nodded his head. "I see..."

"Even now, if we need to run, we have properties we can run too."

"It's hard for me, ya know," William said, looking at them all. "Seeing her, " he said, looking at Zoe. "I mean, it makes me happy, knowing she's not like me but at the same time, wishing I was like that too. Normal."

"I'd give anything for you to have a normal life," Scully said. "Anything."

"I just don't want to have to keep running for the rest of my life," he said, looking at his parents. "I have to admit, I'm tired of it. That's why I was at the convention, trying to talk to Dr. Bryant, to see if he knew if the Old Man was still out there looking for me. If he's dead, I can move on. If not, I'll be on the run for the rest of my life."

"We've thought he was dead multiple times," Scully answered. "And he wasn't."

Mulder stood up and paced the floor. "We need to come up with a plan, Scully. We need to make sure that William is safe. A way for him to not have to run from CGB. We need to keep him safe."

"But how?", Scully questioned. "The last time we tried to keep him safe, his adoptive parents were murdered."

"I can purchase property, like what we had. A refuge. A place that's his," Mulder said, turning to look at Scully. "One where he can stay in isolation and live on his own."

"I'm not sure you can protect me," William said.

"We know you can defend yourself. A place where if anything happens, we can get in touch with you."

"Would you like that?", Scully said, touching William's cheek. "I wanna know your safe. I don't want you to keep running."

William could see the tears in his mother's eyes. "Yeah, but, that's too much. I can't accept that."

"Nonsense," Scully sighed. "You're our son."

"He'll track me down. No matter where I am. I just need to know if he's out there."

"William, I can have it all set up," Mulder said. "Completely new identity. A place of your own, like our home. A sanctuary."

William looked surprised. "Yeah but..."

"William," Scully said. "This is our responsibility to make sure you are safe. That's all we ever wanted."

William sighed, as he fidgeted with his hands. "I have no resources to pay you back."

Mulder shook his head. "There is no paying us back. You are our son. And just like your sister, we would do anything to make sure you were safe."

William stared down at his feet. He had been running on nothing for years. "A place where I can disappear?."

"He'll need new everything, Mulder," she said. "New birth certificate etc."

Mulder pulled out his cellphone. "I'm on it. I have contacts, friends of our deceased friends that'll do it."

"It'll be too expensive to buy property though," William said shaking his head. "That's not necessary."

"No," Mulder said. "We want something permanent. Someplace that legally belongs to you under your new name. A place where your no longer on the streets or drifting from hotel to hotel. You can choose whatever identity you want, and we'll make sure it's yours and you won't have to ever worry again."

Jackson looked at his parents in disbelief. "You sure you want to do this for me?"

Mulder patted his shoulder. "Anything we have is yours. Anything you need, we'll provide. You are our son, William."

They could see that he was reluctant in accepting their help. Mulder sat down in front of him. "Think of it as your inheritance. What's ours is yours."

William looked at his parents and then nodded. "I don't know what to say."

Zoe stretched up her hands and Scully picked her back up. "Mommy," Zoe whined. "My brother didn't watch the Princesses with me."

William chuckled. "Sorry about that, Zoe. Come on, I'll watch it with you."

William and Zoe were slumped against the sofa, with Zoe snoring lightly cuddled up together. Mulder walked up to Scully and placed his hands around her waist pulling her close as she snapped photos of their children with her cellphone. Mulder pulled Scully tighter and kissed the top of her head. "Can you believe we did this?"

She stared at their son and daughter and sighed. "Yeah. I can believe it. We make beautiful babies, Mulder."

Mulder chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. "You're right about that."

"I can't get over how much William looks like you," she said. "When he was a baby, he looked like me."

"Yeah, with red hair and your skin tone..."

"But when we saw him when he was seventeen and even now, he looks so much like you with the height, the build. He looks like you and Zoe looks like me," she smiled. "I'm amazed at how different they look yet how similar."

Mulder gazed at his son with pride. "I wish there was more we could do."

"We can provide him with a home and a new identity," she sighed. "That way he doesn't have to run. I just want him safe."

"I found a place," Mulder said. "An old friend of Langly's is gonna set it up. It's a place that he can go back too even if he has to run again. It'll be forever his."

"Where?"

Mulder kissed the top of her head. "Alaska, of course."

"Alaska?", she gasped.

"Yeah, " Mulder sighed heavily. "Outside of Homer, Alaska. Isolated. Perfect place to hide out. He could become a fisherman, if he wants. Start a family. Live his life."

"How remote is remote?"

"Extremely remote. Homer is a tourist area, it's still very hard to get too. He'll be a few miles inland in a two bedroom home on two acres of land. If CGB's henchmen are willing to travel that far, they deserve what happens to them."

They stood staring at their children who were seventeen years apart. Scully rubbed her hand over Mulder's thick hands as he held her. She sighed. "I could stare at them all day."

"So could I."

"But, I know Zoe will be waking up soon. She'll be cranky. She'll want her daddy," Scully said.

Mulder smiled. "Yeah, she will. I usually give her a snack when she wakes up from her nap."

Scully moved over to the fridge, and grabbed some items out of the fridge. She washed the fruits and placed them on two plates. "In case, William wants some too."

Mulder nodded his head. "You know it's weird. I'm looking at him and he's a twenty one year old man now but all I still see is that baby I held in my arms."

"I do too," she sighed. "I used to sing to him. Joy to the World," she sighed. "A little better than when I sang it to you."

Mulder chuckled. "Yeah?"

"I held him and told him how much I loved him and how much his daddy loved him," she said, looking into Mulder's eyes. "And how one day we would be all together again."

"And you weren't lying," Mulder said. "We are all here together. And with a little surprise," he said, looking at the red headed girl asleep on her brother's side. "Both of them were miracles."

William stood next to them, watching as they gazed upon the mirage of him asleep next to Zoe. He watched them carefully, weighing their words as he observed them. He could see the sincerity in their eyes but he was still cautious. He didn't know them, even though he knew they were indeed his biological parents. He watched as they turned their backs and he quickly sat back down and picked Zoe up, placing her back on his shoulder. Mulder and Scully turned back to face them and Jackson yawned as he gazed down at his little sister. Zoe opened her eyes. "Where'd you go?"

 **Please Leave Feedback: Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Starting Over**

 **Part 6**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit.**

Zoe wiped at her eyes and then stretched out her arms. Mulder immediately picked her up. "You wanna a snack, Sweetie?"

She shook her head no. Mulder smiled. She was always grouchy and clingy when she first woke up. He turned to William, "You want a snack?"

William shook his head. "Nawl, not really."

Scully walked up to him, handing him a plate with grapes and strawberries. "Just in case."

Mulder sat Zoe down at the table and scooted her plate in front of her. "Here you go sweetie."

Zoe nodded her head and began to eat her midday snack. Scully nervously retreated to the kitchen and began to wipe down the counters and the table. Mulder walked up behind her. Scully could feel Mulder's presence and it relaxed her. Mulder placed his hands on her shoulders. "Scully. I know what your doing. Just sit down and spend time with William."

She wrung her hands and bit her lower lip. She nodded her head and then walked back into the living room and sat down next to William on the sofa. "Shoot, ask away," Jackson said. "Ask me a question."

Scully swallowed hard. "What age did you find out you were adopted? Did you ever think about us?"

"Did I think about you?", Jackson said. "Yes and no," he said. "My Adoptive Parents were my parents. I could feel you and even saw you in my head but it was just flickering images, ya know."

Scully bit her lip as she listened. William sighed. "I mean, my parents never hid it from me that I was adopted. They didn't have too. I knew I was different. My powers were always there and it only grew stronger and more advanced once I turned eleven. That's when we had to leave the farm. Too many people knew about me, causing an uproar in our small town."

"What do you know about your parents going from being Wyoming Farmers to working for the ATF?," Scully questioned. "I mean, it was such a drastic change."

William sighed as he thought back. "My dad was offered a job in Norfolk. One he didn't have the education or experience for. He was a Soybean farmer, so for him to suddenly start working for the ATF, I became suspicious. My mom too started working for them and suddenly we were living a life we hadn't before. Cars, nice house, maids that cleaned the house four times a week. It was a comfortable life," he said, thinking back to the past. "But, I kept getting in trouble and so my parents sent me to a school for boys for a few years to straighten me out. They also started sending me to therapy. And that's when a government Agent came to speak to me. I realized they had been watching me all along."

He sighed. "I started researching about kids like me. I had a friend teach me how to access the darknet and that's when I came upon Project Crossroads. I started playing around with the idea of Ghouli. An urban legend website, ya know. I thought it was a way of channeling my abilities, since I couldn't really show them off without exposing myself. And that's when those government agents started watching my house," he said, staring into Scully's eyes. "Which lead to my parents death. It's an odd coincidence that on the day my adoptive parents were murdered, my real parents were there to investigate me."

He rubbed his fingers over his chin. "I grew up happy except for numerous incidences that baffled my parents. They thought it was God testing them. They couldn't understand it. They were extremely religious at first and so they viewed me through those lenses. Then when they started making money, they forgot about their religion and they threw me into boarding schools and therapists and pills to fix me. They loved me though. I never thought they hadn't. I was happy but very confused."

"I'm glad you were loved. I didn't think anyone could love you like I loved you," Scully said, as she searched his eyes. "I lived with such fear all these years."

"Yeah, well," he said, looking at Mulder who was watching them and then back to Scully. "My life was simpler then. If only I knew that."

Scully grabbed a photo album from the side table and sat back down with her son. "I hope you're not tired of photos."

William shrugged his shoulders. "Not yet."

Scully flipped open the photo album to a photo of a younger version of herself holding a baby. "This is another picture of you as a newborn."

William stared at the photos. Scully had a wide grin as she kissed his fat cheeks. She turned the page and there was a photo of Mulder holding him as he sat on a bed in a bedroom looking proud as he held him. "You were born in Georgia," she sighed. "At an abandoned Hot Springs."

"You were in danger before you were born and afterwards" Mulder said, helping Zoe down from her booster seat.

William flipped through the pages in Scully's hands. He stopped at a photo of an elderly woman holding him. "Who is this?"

"That's your grandmother. My mom. Margaret Scully. She died a few years ago. Her last words on her lips was calling your name," she said, turning to look at him. "She loved you a great deal."

William could see Scully wipe her tears and clear her throat as she turned the pages. "This is my oldest brother, your Uncle, Bill Sr, his wife and son, Matthew. This is Matthew's wife and kids," she moved on to the next photo. "This is my youngest brother Charles. This is his ex-wife Jill and his sons, Junior and Patrick and their kids."

William nodded his head. "Big family."

"Yes, it is. It's your family," she said, turning the page. "This is my older sister, Melissa. She died a few years back. And this is Ahab, my father. He was a Captain in the Navy. His name was William Scully Sr."

"Is that why you named me William?"

Scully glanced at Mulder and then back to their son. "My father's name and my brother's name was William. Your dad's father..."

"The guy that raised me, Bill Mulder, was named William Mulder," Mulder added in. "Unfortunately for all of us, CGB is my actual biological father."

"All of the important men in my life were named William. So, I couldn't imagine you as anything else," she smiled.

Jackson looked at both of his parents. "I never knew that."

"And William is my middle name," Mulder said. "It was a strong family name."

"I've been Jackson my whole life," he said. "The Van De Kamps named me after Jackson, Wyoming, where I grew up."

"It's a good name," Scully said. "I like it."

William turned towards the window. He sighed and sat back. "Excuse me," he said, grabbing the pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "Cigarette break."

William stood up and threw open the side door, stepping out onto the wrap-around porch. He lit his cigarette and stared at the black car that was parked at the very end of the road. He tossed the cigarette down and stomped it. He could see that he was being watched but he also knew that appearing as Fox Mulder would throw them off. He'd never been a cigarette smoker but he used them as props when he needed too. He could hear the clicking of a camera with his superior hearing ability, as the man inside the car snapped numerous photos until he opened the sidedoor and stepped back in, immediately changing back into himself.

Mulder pointed towards his office. "Follow me into my office."

William followed his father into the cluttered room filled with books and newspaper clippings of various creatures and sightings. He stared with fascination at the mess on the walls. "So you're a CryptoZoologist?"

Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "You can say that. I think your mom and I liked the label of Paranormal Investigators much better. We've seen alot of things and have been exposed to the worst of humanity. We've witnessed some extraordinary things."

William plopped down in the chair in front of Mulder's desk. "Like having a son with extraordinary powers?"

Mulder smirked. "Both of us made it in The X-Files a few times. So, I guess, you're the consequence of that."

"Ahhh," William said.

Scully patted the seat next to her on the couch and watched as Zoe climbed up and laid her head on her mother's chest. She could tell that Zoe was mulling something over. Scully smiled warmly down to her mini-me. "Zoe, sweetie. You're so quiet."

"Mommy," Zoe said. "My brother scares me a little."

Scully cocked her head to the side. "Why, sweetie?"

Zoe shrugged her shoulders. "He's nice but he's also a little mean."

"You think he's mean to you?", Scully said, rubbing her hand along Zoe's hands.

"No," Zoe answered. "Just people. I think he's mean to people sometimes."

"Why do you think that, honey?"

Zoe shook her head. "I don't know."

Zoe twisted around and wrapped her arms around Scully's neck and kissed her on the cheeks. "I love you, Mommy. I love you forever."

Scully smiled and kissed her daughter on the lips. "I love you too, Zoe. More than you know."

"Mommy?", Zoe asked, staring into Scully's eyes, her tiny fingers pulling at the strands of Scully's hair.

"Yes, sweetie."

"When I go to preschool, is my brother gonna be there too?"

"No, honey. No grownups will be there except for your teachers."

"My brother is a grownup?", Zoe gawked. "Why is he a grownup?"

"Cause Mommy and Daddy had him a long time ago."

"Like a zillion years ago?"

Scully chuckled. "Not quite that long ago. William is twenty one."

"Twenty one?," Zoe gasped. "Man, that's old. He's really, really old."

"Not really," Scully answered.

"Is that why he lives far away? And why I haven't seen him?"

Scully pushed the strands of red hair back behind Zoe's ears. "Well, your brother lives on his own. When kids grow up, they live on their own."

"But, I don't want to live away from you and daddy when I'm a grownup."

Scully smiled. "You'll change your mind when you get old enough."

"No," Zoe said, shaking her head vigorously.

Scully kissed her daughter's forehead, trying to calm her concerns.

"Mommy, what are you and Daddy gonna do when I go to preschool?", Zoe asked.

Scully smirked. "Well, I'm gonna be working back at the hospital like I do on Mondays through Wednesdays, right?"

"Right," the child nodded.

"And Daddy...," Scully said, kissing her daughter's cheeks. "Will be here when you get home. You'll get to ride the big yellow bus and Daddy will be waiting on the porch for you. They'll bring you right here to the porch and he'll be waiting."

Zoe was quiet as she contemplated her next question. "Mommy? Is my brother going to stay in his room? Is he staying with us?"

"I think for a few days", Scully said. "William hasn't seen us in a very long time. He didn't grow up with us."

Zoe scrunched her forehead. "Where did he grow up?"

Scully sighed. She chewed on her lower lip as she tried to come up with an answer the four year old could understand. "Do you know what adopted means?"

Zoe shook her head no.

"It means that your brother lived with different mom and dad that loved him like their own, even though he was your mommy and daddy's baby," Scully said, grabbing the Van DeKamps photo album. She opened it and found a photo of a one year old William with his adopted parents. "See, this was his adopted mom and dad. And this is your brother when he was little."

Zoe looked concerned. Scully grabbed Mrs. Tolbert and held her. "Let me explain. Is Mrs. Tolbert your baby?"

Zoe shook her head no. "She's too old. She's daddy's age."

Scully chuckled. "Okay, well, let's pretend that a long time ago, Mrs. Tolbert was a baby."

"Okay," Zoe added.

"And you were her mommy."

Zoe nodded along. Scully continued on. "And after you have your baby, you realize that you can't take care of her. So you give her to someone else to take care of her. To keep her safe. Then one day, your baby has grown up like Mrs. Tolbert is right now. And she comes to your house and finds you. That's what happened today. Your brother was raised by a different mom and dad but he found us, his real mom and dad, today."

Zoe stared at Mrs. Tolbert. "Okay," Zoe said. Scully could tell she wasn't quite understanding but it was the best she could do. "But Mommy, you still love my brother, right?"

"Yes, honey. I do."

"And you still love me."

"Absolutely. Daddy too."

"Will I have new parents like my brother?"

Scully swallowed hard. "No, Zoe. Why we had to give up your brother, that's not what's happening now with you. Your daddy and I are here and we love you and your brother very much."

"Where's his other parents?"

"They died, sweetie. A long time ago."

Zoe sighed heavily. "That's so sad."

"Yes, it is."

"I love my brother," Zoe stated.

"I love you and your brother both."

Zoe gripped Scully's cheeks and smiled. "You're so pretty, Mommy. You're a Princess."

Scully smiled. "Well, if I'm a Princess, you're a beautiful Princess too. Like Mother, like Daughter."

"We're both Princesses," Zoe added.

"Yes, we are."

"And Daddy and my brother are Boy Princessess."

Scully smiled as she looked at her daughter. She marveled at how her mind worked. "I think they are. Yes. They're Boy Princessess, for sure."

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	7. Chapter 7

**Starting Over**

 **Part 7**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**.

Mulder fumbled through his desk drawers. He pulled out a notebook and handed it to William. "This is all the information I have on CGB. All the concrete information I have. It's not easy tracking down definite information on him."

"Do you think he's still alive?", William asked, slipping it into his back pocket.

Mulder glanced at his son. "When I shot him, he looked surprised. There had been many chances for me to shoot him in the past. Times where I pulled a gun on him but didn't shoot, mainly because I knew that in killing him there was a chance I could be convicted which meant I would lose your mom. It was always her face I saw which stopped me. I didn't even know the bastard was my father then. I just knew he was the most evil man I had ever known. But, I couldn't do it then. I couldn't risk losing her. So five years ago, after he shot you, I shot him several times and pushed him off the docks. He looked shocked that I had finally done it. But, they searched the river for his body and yours, and you both were gone. So, I think he's still out there. He never seems to die."

"Do you think he'll come after you? After Zoe?"

Mulder contemplated the possibility. "I hope he'll leave her alone. He's left her alone so far. Maybe because she's normal."

"Must be weird," William said. "Being as old as you are and having a four year old."

Mulder stared at his son. "Zoe certainly was a surprise but so were you. We weren't spring chickens then either."

"Yeah well, now especially," William spoke, pointing to Mulder. "I mean, I get it though. My adoptive parents were older too."

"What I was going to say, " Mulder said, squaring his jaw, sitting up in his seat.

"I don't mean to call you old," William said, his hands raised. "I mean, you both are old. But, I mean... I just saying,", he stammered. "Having a four year old at your age has to be hard."

Mulder smirked. "Relax. I get it. I was twenty one once and thought everyone was old too."

William sat back in his seat, looking down at his feet.

"What we can do, William, is use our connections and get you somewhere safe. Somewhere permanent."

"I still don't see how that's going to happen," William stated. "When you've been on the run for five years, you just don't see the end to it."

Mulder glanced at his son. "Did you have someone to watch your back?"

William shook his head. "No", he said. "I've been a loner. I haven't had friends or anything else since I was seventeen."

Mulder sighed heavily as he stared at his son. "That's exactly why we need to help."

William stared down at his hands. Mulder could tell he was embarrassed with the offer of charity.

"You know, believe it or not, we have a lot in common," Mulder added.

"The past five years, I kept thinking", William said. "That the old man, who I thought was my father, wanted to kill me, just like he was going to kill you. I've spent a lot of time alone, trying not to get attached to anyone."

"I see that it's hard for you to accept that we want you," Mulder said. "All we wanted was to get to know you, our son, and do whatever it took to protect you."

William shook his head. "You do know that you can't protect me, right? I'm a walking weapon. I appreciate it but you can't protect me."

"I know. I saw what you can do," Mulder said. "I know we can't keep them from coming after you. You'll have to protect yourself. But what we can do is give you a place that's yours."

"I'm not afraid of starting over. I'm not afraid of being alone. That's all I know now."

"Being alone isn't the answer," Mulder spoke.

"Its worked so far."

"This house here was a comfort for your mom and I but that's not how I saw it," Mulder said, looking around. "I spent a few years closed off in here, staring at the same four walls in this very office, waiting on the day they would bust in here and haul me away. I couldn't go outside for fear of being seen. So, I locked myself away in here. Away from her, away from everything. It put a strain on our relationship," Mulder said. "Your mom would go to work and shop for us and basically do everything for us. And while she was doing all that, I was locked away in my own world. It took time to come out of it. Even after we got married, I was still locked away mentally. We broke up for several years, living apart. It took time to get back to myself. I don't want that for you. I want you to stop running and have a life. But most importantly, be open to others again."

"I don't see that," William said. "I don't see myself doing anything more than what I've been doing."

Mulder sighed. "You're young. Your entire life changed five years ago. You haven't had any stability since then. You will have to learn to trust someone. I'm hoping that you'll trust us."

William ran his hand through his long hair and stared back at Mulder.

"You're going to relocate to Homer, Alaska."

William sat up in his seat. "Alaska?", he said, horrified. "But, it's freezing cold there."

"l already purchased the house," Mulder said, placing his phone down on the desk. "The house will be under a pseudo name that can't be linked to you or us. We need a new birth certificate, everything you'll need to start over so you won't have to run. We just need to know you are alright."

"I feel like I don't deserve it though.."

Mulder stood up and placed a hand on William's shoulders. "The last time I saw you, I saw you being shot in the head and falling into the river. That image has stuck with me for the past five years. Your mom believed you were alive based on the fact that she could feel you. We didn't have any definitive evidence that you were dead or alive."

"I'm sorry," William said. "I thought it was best if you thought I was dead."

Mulder locked eyes with his son. "Seeing you get murdered is not an image any parent wants to see. Ever. But, I get it. You barely knew us."

Scully ducked her head in the doorway. "Mulder, it's getting late. I'll cook us something for dinner, if you wash dishes. Deal Mulder?"

"Deal," he said, as Zoe rushed to his side.

Zoe strolled up to her father and pulled on his pants leg. "Daddy, can you swing me on the swings?"

Mulder smiled. "Yeah, just give your old man a second."

"Right now? She'll need a jacket," Scully warned.

"William, you wanna come with us?" Mulder said, as Zoe watched her parents, her eyes settling on her brother.

"Yeah, sure," William added.

"Okay," Scully said. "I don't know what you like to eat, William. Is fried chicken okay?"

William rubbed his stomach. "Sounds delicious."

Mulder walked over to Scully. "It's okay," he said, wrapping her tighty in his arms. " I know your anxious but we're gonna have a nice family meal and spend this time with both of our kids, alright."

Scully gazed up into Mulder's eyes. "Okay."

Scully turned to see Zoe twisting in a circle as she waited. "Daddy, COME ON!", she demanded.

Scully smiled. "Wrapped around your little finger."

"As if you aren't?," he smirked.

Scully smiled shyly and then reached up on her tip toes to kiss Mulder's lips. She sighed. "I Love you."

"Love you too."

Zoe grimaced. "See, kissing all the time. It's GROSS!"

William watched his parents showing affection. He couldn't remember ever seeing his adoptive parents being so affectionate towards eachother. He felt a pang in his heart. He hadn't thought about his adoptive parents relationship in some time. They had been much more reserved than his biological parents who seemed so in love from what he'd seen. Zoe grabbed William's hand and began to pull him towards the backdoor. "Come on, brother," she said. "Push me."

William watched as Mulder kissed Scully one last time before following them out the door to the back yard. Scully watched them out of the kitchen window as Mulder and William alternated in pushing Zoe on her swing set as she shouted instructions to them. The entire backyard had been transformed into a mini-playground for Zoe. Scully felt her heart surge as she watched them. Reluctantly, she tore herself away from the window and began to start dinner. She gripped the sink, feeling wobbly on her legs, feeling her own nervousness. She had been feeling dizzy lately but she dismissed it, willing herself to keep going.

Zoe ran into the kitchen and grabbed Scully's legs, wrapping her small arms around her mother. Scully picked her up and kissed her on the cheek. "Did you wear daddy out again?"

"Yeah," Zoe sighed. "He and brother are sitting down in the chairs outside. Daddy told me to come ask if dinner was ready."

"You're daddy is funny," Scully said, sarcastically. "Tell him if he wants to rush me, he can come help me."

"Ohhhkaaaay," Zoe sighed exhaustively, as she raced back out the door and approached her father. Mulder smiled as he turned towards William. "Scully women."

She watched as they stood up and headed back into the house. "Mommy," Zoe's voice rang out as she reentered the kitchen.

"Yes, sweetie."

"I told him and he's coming in."

"Thank You, Zoe."

Mulder headed for the kitchen table and sat down. William followed him, sitting besides his father. Scully crossed her arms in front of her, glaring at Mulder. "I thought you were coming to help me?"

Mulder smirked. "I'm doing the dishes."

"SO," Scully smirked. "I should use every dish in the house then, right?"

Mulder's eyes grew wide. "Ah, no, Scully."

She winked at William and returned to the stove, turning over the frying chicken in the cast iron skillet. Zoe walked over and stood on her pink step stool placing her hands on the counter. "Can I help?"

"Wash those hands," Scully said, pointing towards the sink.

They watched as Zoe pulled her step stool over and stood up at the sink. She washed her hands using a purple kids soap. Zoe climbed back down and then pulled the step stool close to her side. "What can I do, Mommy?"

"Well, Zoe," Scully said, opening the fridge door and placed the salad dressing on the counter. "You could pour some of this over this salad," she said, pushing the large bowl in front of her daughter.

Zoe poured the salad dressing under the careful watch of Scully. "You're such a big help," Scully smiled.

Zoe jumped down and then looked around. "What else can I do?"

"You could talk to me," William said, glancing nervously at his parents. "I don't really have all that much experience around little kids though."

"It's okay," Mulder said. "I mean, Zoe will help you with that."

William sat back. "There's a lot of things I don't know," he sighed. "Like, what would I do in Alaska? I don't know anything about Alaska. Wait, don't they have six months of daylight or something like that there?"

"You'll learn," Mulder answered. "The question is, what name will you use? Who will you be while there? My contact needs to know," he said, checking his phone.

William sighed heavily. "I have no clue what name to use."

Mulder locked eyes with Scully. William continued. "Whatever name we choose, that's who I'll be for the rest of my life, right? This is where I'll live for the rest of my life, right?"

Mulder nodded. "Yeah, it is."

William thought about it. "Well," he said, turning to Scully. "You named me the first time, right? I'll let you name me again."

"Alright," Scully said. "I'll think about it."

Mulder stood up and grabbed two glasses out of the cupboard. William watched as the color drained from Mulder's face. Mulder turned towards Scully. "There's a car at the end of the road."

"What do you mean?", Scully said, standing on the step stool to gaze out the window. She turned to look back at Mulder. "Whoever they are, they haven't triggered our alarms."

William glanced at his mother. " I'm already putting you in danger."

"No," Scully answered. "We've had visitors before, just not for awhile."

"We might have to leave, at some point," Mulder said.

Scully turned towards Zoe. "We've planned for this."

They watched as the car started the engine, made a U-turn and then drove off in the distance.

"Don't worry, Your safe as long as I'm here," William stated.

Mulder patted William on the back. "We know."

William glanced down shyly. He was surprised when Zoe opened her arms to him. He held her in his arms as she stared into his eyes. "You just go from one open arm to the next, huh?", he chuckled.

"I'm a Princess," Zoe answered.

"Yeah well, Princess, you're kinda heavy," he said.

He turned to his parents. "That's the second time I've seen that car parked there," William added.

Mulder looked at Scully and then back at William. "We installed motion detecting equipment but unfortunately, it only has a range of twenty feet from the house. Anyone that comes near this place will set off an alarm. We learned our lessons from the past," Mulder said, looking down at Scully. "We're prepared," he said, pointing to the gun lockers he had placed high on the walls out of reach of Zoe.

Mulder could tell Scully was anxious which was making their daughter anxious. Mulder placed his hand on Scully's shoulder. "We need to go about our normal routine, don't you think, Scully?"

Scully stared at Zoe and then her eyes locked with Mulder's and then William's. "Yes," she said, as Zoe teared up, feeding off their nervousness. Mulder picked up their daughter, handing her to her mother.

"She's pretty sensitive, isn't she?", William asked.

Scully smiled. "You were the same way. If I cried, you cried," she said."You'd mimic my moods," Scully said, as she rubbed Zoe's back, trying to keep her calm. "Are you hungry?", she whispered in her daughter's ear.

"Mmmm hmmm," Zoe sniffled.

Scully turned towards Mulder. "Take her, feed her."

Mulder prepared a plate for Zoe and watched as she ate.

"I realize you're both on edge, but you don't need to worry. Anyone comes near here, I'll drop them quickly."

William could tell that Scully was still distressed. He grabbed his mother's hand and held it. "That chicken smells really good. I'd love to sit down and eat it."

Scully gripped his hand and looked into her sons eyes. William could tell she was reassured. Scully's jaw squared and her tone changed. "Go sit down at the table," she ordered, heading for the kitchen.

Mulder patted William's back. "Come on," he said. "My stomach is growling."

William smiled and followed his father back to the kitchen table. After dinner, William grabbed up the dishes and began washing them. Mulder stepped up to his side, drying each dish as William handed it to him. 'You know, I used to stare at your baby photo and imagine you growing up."

William turned to his father. "Watching Planet of the Apes and shooting off rockets?"

Mulder looked stunned. "How'd you..."

William shrugged his shoulders. "It's like a radio signal. I can pick up your thoughts, if I choose too."

Scully grabbed Zoe's hand, leading her to the bathroom. "You know," Mulder said. "After the docks, after we did the DNA test and found out I was indeed your father, no question, I'd wake up sweating from nightmares."

"What were they about?"

"That the test came back that I wasn't. I'd jump up out of bed and race to my office and check the papers again and again before returning to bed. Scully said I did that about twenty times before I stopped."

William stared at Mulder. "I see how I look like you. The same build, the same hair..."

"Only much longer than mine."

"I could use a haircut," William stated. "But, really, standing here. I can see it. I even have your hands," he said.

Mulder placed his hand alongside his sons. They both laughed. "Yeah, that's my hand."

Scully reemerged with Zoe, whose hair was wet. She was dressed in pink pajamas with Disney Princess all over them. Mulder immediately picked Zoe up. "You wanna say goodnight to your brother?"

Zoe shook her head no. "I'm not ready to go to sleep. I wanna stay up with Brother. He gets to stay up."

The adults laughed as Zoe pouted. Mulder smiled. "You can stay up a half an hour, then you have to go to bed."

Zoe jumped around excitedly. "Brother, will you watch tv with me?"

William smiled. "No problem. What should we watch?"

"What do YOU want to watch?", she asked.

Scully gasped. "She never asks that..."

Zoe smirked as she turned her attention back to her brother. William grabbed the remote and scrolled through the choices. He settled on a kids show and Zoe sat back, satisfied. Within ten minutes, she was asleep. It was ten more minutes, before William tore himself from the screen and noticed he was watching it alone. He turned to see his parents cleaning the kitchen in between kisses and whispers. Mulder noticed that Zoe was asleep. "I'll lay her down. It's just a matter of time before she wakes back up through the night. The girl never sleeps the full night."

"She gets that from you," Scully piped in.

"What you have insomnia?", William said, surprised. "I have always suffered from insomnia."

Mulder nodded as he picked Zoe up from the couch. "Guilty," Mulder added. "I'll be back. Just gonna put her down."

"I wonder what other traits I get from you."

Scully touched his cheek. "From what I see, you're handsome like your father. You're smart like him," she smiled. "Spitting image. Like a young Fox Mulder."

William smiled back. "Thank You."

Mulder winked. "I''ll be right back."

"Alright, " William said. "I'll keep guard."

 **Please Leave Feedback: Thanks**!


	8. Chapter 8

**Starting Over**

 **Part 8**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**.

Scully stared up at the ceiling in their bed listening to the sounds of the clock next to her head. She turned and read the display. It was 2:30 in the morning and she hadn't slept a wink. She flipped to her side and then threw off her blankets, feeling the chill settle over her body. She then flipped again before a large warm hand reached out and held her in place. "Scully, what is it?", Mulder said, sliding up next to her. "I've been listening to you sigh and toss and turn since we laid down."

"How can you ask me that, Mulder? Our son is asleep in his room... in the room we made for him and I don't know if he'll even be there in the morning."

Mulder slid even closer and spooned up to her. He laid his hand on her hip. "Scully, he said he would stay."

"I'm worried that it was just a dream. That when we wake up, he'll be gone."

Mulder sighed, feeling her anxiety. "I understand your fears, Scully, but I think he was geniune."

Scully twisted around to stare into Mulder's eyes. "There's so much going on in my head right now. We went from shopping for Zoe for preschool to our son walking in the front door and my emotions are literally all over the place," she said, as Mulder, ran his finger along her cheekbones. "I'm happy, I'm afraid, I'm fearful. We ran for so many years, always looking over our shoulders. For the past five years, we've finally lived in peace and it's made our relationship stronger. That's not what I wanted for him."

"No parent wants that for their child."

"All the times that he was growing up, I was afraid."

"I know you were", Mulder stated.

"Afraid that the Syndicate would find him and afraid that we would never find him. Afraid that he would hate us when we did find us," she sighed. "And then after the docks when he was seventeen, I have had daily nightmares that his body was still in that at river, Mulder. Caught under some rubble, fish eating off his flesh. Other times I saw him with a bullet hole in his forehead and he popped up out of the water, alive. I don't think we even really talked about it after that. We were so focused on Zoe."

Mulder ran his finger across the smooth lines of her face. "Scully, I understand you're fears but our son is asleep in the room we made for him. He's safe. We're all safe."

"I know," she sighed. "I still can't sleep, Mulder."

"I can take care of that," he said, kissing her lips.

Scully placed her hand on his chest. "I'm sorry, Mulder but I'm not in the mood."

Mulder sat up. "Scully, you've been saying that a lot lately. It's unlike us to go this long without having sex. Even when we were separated, we still got together for sex. What's going on?"

Scully sat up, her back against the headboard, She sighed heavily. "Mulder. I'm fine."

Mulder growled. "Scully!"

Scully held up her hand trying to calm him. "Sorry," she said, watching as his shoulders tensed. "Wrong choice of words."

"Damn straight."

"No, it's just that I'm fifty nine. I have a four year old that wipes out my energy. And I'm still working at the hospital most of the week. When I say I'm tired, I actually am tired."

He shook his head. "No. I'm not buy it. Something else is going on."

"I'm just growing older," she said, looking into his eyes. "Years of constantly running on adrenaline which was physically taxing... going without sleep for days, not eating for days. I can't lift my arm anymore and your knees crack. We're showing our age. We're older parents, Mulder. Of course, I'm tired."

Mulder shook his head. "I just don't know."

Scully reached up and touched the tip of his lip, smoothing her thumb along his pouty lower lip. "It could be that I have low Estrogen Levels. I'll check my Estrogen levels when I go back to work next week and prescribe myself something. Okay?"

"Okay," he said, pressing his lips to her hairline.

They turned as the door creaked open and watched as Zoe patted her way over to their bed. Zoe climbed over her mother and settled down in between them, closing her eyes shut.

"Zoe, honey, we've talked about this. You're too old for that now."

They watched as Zoe pretended to snore loudly. Scully shook her head. "She's stubborn like you."

"I was going to say that about you," Mulder added.

"No, I don't think so," Scully said. "She may look like me, but she is one hundred percent you."

"What about William?"

"That's all you too. He's tall, handsome, introspective."

"Looks like I won," Mulder smiled.

"I didn't know it was a contest," Scully smirked. "Zoe, honey, you can stay until you fall asleep and then Daddy is going to put you back in bed, okay?"

"Okay," Zoe said, her eyes still shut tightly.

Mulder reached for the covers, covering them all. Scully laid down on her pillow and looked at Mulder. "Mulder, don't you fall asleep before putting her back into bed."

He looked down at their daughter and nodded. "Will do," he said, laying his head back on his pillow.

William slipped his pants, shirt and shoes on and made his way down the hall in the early morning hour. It was four a.m and he could hear a car engine several yards away. He carefully crept down the hall but stopped, staring in the crack in the doorway of his parents room. He could see them asleep with Zoe in between them. He continued on down the stairs and walked up to window, peering through the curtains. He could see the faint yellow glare of headlights at the end of the road. William watched as two unmarked black vans silently pulled up alongside the car and dimmed their lights.

William stepped out on the porch, having disguised himself as Fox Mulder, he bound down the steps and walked slowly towards them. The van opened and a dozen men in black suits jumped out, with high powered weapons, pointing at him. Unfazed, William walked on, stopping directly in front of them. William looked down at his shirt, noticing it was lit up with red dots. The headlights created a small amount of light where he could make out their faces.

The leader walked up to him. "Fox Mulder, we know he's here. We just want him. We'll leave you and your little family alone, just hand him over."

"I can't do that," William answered.

"You're useless to us. We don't need you anymore but I'll kill you if I have to. Turn him over and we'll spare all of you."

"I don't think so," William answered.

"Then we'll kill your pretty wife and that cute little girl."

William watched as they encircled him. "You won't kill them."

The Agent laughed. "I never took you for naive, Fox Mulder. I'm pretty sure you know we absolutely would kill you."

He closed his eyes, breaking their necks as they fell to the ground, their guns sliding to the ground.

The leader pointed his gun to William's head. "Clever. Disguising yourself as your father."

William heard Mulder screaming as he stood on the front porch in his pajamas, a gun in his hand. He watched as Mulder bound down the steps racing towards them. William turned his attention back to the unknown Agent.

"Who sent you?", William questioned. "What Agency?"

"WILLIAM, come to me," Mulder screamed, as he pointed a gun towards the driver. "WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH MY SON?"

The Agent ignored him, focusing on the Fox Mulder before him.

"You know who it is," the stranger stated. "It doesn't matter what you do or who you kill, he'll send someone else to retrieve you. He has access to government agents who can track you down. He won't stop until he gets you. Now, you can either come with me or I can go after them."

"You won't touch a hair on their heads," William sneered.

The leader smirked as he held a high powered gun pointed towards William's heart. "There's more of us. There's more on there way."

William changed back into himself and stared at the soldier. "The Old Man, he'll die eventually."

The Agent glared at him. "You sure about that?", he said as he turned, seeing Scully holding Zoe close to her heart on the porch. Mulder was standing near the dead bodies, his gun pointed towards the Agents head.

"Your little sister is four right? She's a pretty little thing. She's useless to me, but that wouldn't stop me from selling her on the black market."

William could feel his anger rising. He crushed the Agent's entire body like a soda can. William watched as his body fell to the ground with a thud. He stepped over the body to a surprised Mulder.

"Who were they? What did they want?", Mulder questioned.

"It was CGB. He came after me again. He said he'd come after Zoe next. You need to go NOW! There's more of them on the way."

Mulder placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Not without YOU. Now, let's go! We need to get out before they come back."

Mulder looked at the road covered in dead bodies. "Let's go!" ,he said, as they raced back to the house.

Mulder bound up the steps where Scully had run into Zoe's pink bedroom, grabbing her clothes. Mulder stood in the doorway. "We need to get our packed bags, Scully, and quickly. I know exactly where to go," he said.

Mulder raced to their bedroom and pushed their bed aside. He removed the wood boards, revealing a hidden safe. He cracked it open and grabbed several stacks of cash, leaving several more. He closed the safe and returned the wood pieces in place. He slid their bed back in place and was surprised when Scully ran in. They both changed quickly before running out of their bedroom. Zoe sleepily opened the bathroom door. "Mommy, what's wrong? Where are we going?"

"Zoe, just go to your brother!", she ordered.

Zoe startled as she watched her mother race around. William grabbed Zoe and placed her on his hip as he observed the windows. "All's clear...", he yelled out.

Scully grabbed their bags and tossed them by the front door. She grabbed snacks and waters and tossed them into a bag. She grabbed Mrs. Tolbert and a few more toys for Zoe. Mulder handed Scully her gun and they all raced down the steps to the car. William buckled Zoe in her seat and they tossed their bags in the back. Scully handed a dazed Zoe a pack of Animal Crackers trying to keep her calm in the early hours. The four year snacked on her animal crackers as her eyes batted closed before dropping the cookies on the floor. Mulder patted the top of the car. "Let's Go!"

Zoe's eyes were wide open as they seat belted themselves in. William slid into the seat next to Zoe as Scully hopped into the passenger seat. Mulder locked eyes with Scully and then put the car in reverse and then took off. He quickly came upon the dead bodies littering the only road that lead to their home.. Mulder drove off the road onto their empty field, driving around the dead bodies that blocked the roadway. Zoe gasped as she stared at the empty cars and the headlight showcasing a cluster of dead men. She strained her neck as she stared at the bodies laying in the gravel. Mulder drove back onto the road and sped off at top speed.

"Where are we going?", Zoe questioned.

"We're going to Florida and then Georgia. You remember Florida, don't you?", Scully said, trying to keep her tone happy and lite.

"No," Zoe said, shaking her head. "What about my preschool?"

Scully locked eyes with Mulder. She turned to look at their young daughter. "We're going on a family trip. Isn't that exciting?"

Zoe looked at her brother and then her parents and shook her head. "No, it's not."

Scully locked eyes with William. She reached out and held his hand. "We're going to be safe. All of us. Together," she said, squeezing his hand.

He sat back, relaxing his shoulders. This was the first time in five years he was not running alone but he felt guilty uprooting their lives.

Scully turn back to him. "Stop it!," she said. " That's what your father would always do...blame himself. This is NOT your fault, it's ours."

Jackson looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Scully looked at Mulder and then back to their son. "We should've walked away. Left the X-Files behind. Lived our lives. Instead we kept..."

"Searching for the truth," Mulder added. "It was me. I pushed for that. Always searching for the elusive Truth. Your mom wanted to stop, live our lives but I kept pushing. That decision has affected every one of our lives. Your mom wouldn't leave me. I still don't know why."

Scully slipped her hand into Mulders, feeling the warmth and strength in his hands. "I loved you too much," she said to Mulder. Scully could see Mulder's eyes flicker as he looked at her. She turned back to William. "But, my biggest regret was in not knowing that our futile attempt at the truth would then affect your life."

William glanced at a sleeping Zoe by his side, secure in her booster seat. "Not just my life..."

Both, Mulder and Scully became sullen. Mulder kept his eyes on his rearview mirror, checking to see if they were being followed. He drove carefully, trying not to draw any attention to themselves as they traveled on. They stopped only for bathroom breaks and hit up drive-thru menus. They drove on noticing the heat index rise the closer they got to Florida. They drove through the night, alternating drivers and pushing on, through the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, past tourists and spectators who were fascinated by alligators on the side of the swamps. But, Mulder continued on exhaustedly until they reached the small town of Folkston, Georgia.

Following the GPS instructions, Mulder pulled down the windy dead end road. A double wide trailer sat on blocks with a sheet metal skirt in front of them. Mulder and Scully turned to each other. "Do you think he's in there?"

"I guess we're about to find out," Mulder stated.

Mulder stepped out, noticing they were isolated surrounded by trees with a newish doublewide trailer. He noticed a disability ramp leading up to the front door. Scully stepped out and scanned the area, noticing a blue pickup truck and a small car parked next to the home. She flipped open the glovebox, retrieving a gun, strapping it to her harness on her back. She turned and looked at her family and then walked up the ramp. She was armed but she was sure she wouldn't need it. She knocked on the front door and was surprised when a young blond woman answered. "Is he here?", Scully asked.

"I'm sorry? ", the blond asked.

"Walter Skinner," Scully clarified.

Scully heard his voice from inside. "Tell her and Mulder to come in."

The blond looked surprised. "He never invites anyone in."

Walter Skinner wheeled himself up to the front door, a gun in his hand. "You pulled up and I knew exactly who it was."

Scully looked past him into the living room where a row of security cameras lay set up on an old desk. "What are you doing here, Scully?"

"Sir, they came after us. All of us."

Skinner turned to the woman at the door. "They're staying."

Scully waved towards her family. Mulder watched as Zoe unlocked her seatbelt and raced up to her mother's side. Zoe shyly tucked herself against her mother's leg. Scully pointed towards Skinner. "Zoe, honey, this is your Uncle Walter."

Zoe waved but grabbed her mother's leg, shyly peering at the older man in a wheelchair.

"Amazing. She looks identical to you," Skinner gawked. "The last time I saw her, she was a newborn."

Mulder and William walked up to the front door. Skinner stared at William whose dyed blond hair had faded. "How?", Skinner said, staring at William.

Mulder patted William's back. "He found us."

Mulder noticed the solemn look on Skinner's face. "CGB lied to you, Skinner," Mulder said. "He's MY son. DNA doesn't lie."

"Well," Skinner said, his cheeks coloring red. "That's a relief," Skinner said, wheeling himself backwards in his chair. "Come on in. Come on."

They walked into the sparse living room and looked around. Mulder and Scully glanced at each other. They were used to Skinner's minimalist style of decorating, but this home was quite empty. It was obvious to both Mulder and Scully, that Skinner's home had been built to meet his needs as a Paraplegic. There was a side table full of medications, a sofa and a display case, and that desk of monitors, that spied every angle of the property.

Scully walked up to the display case, noticing old photos of Skinner in his FBI and Military Days. She turned and looked at Skinner. He locked eyes with her. "You were quite handsome in your hayday."

"Yeah, a real stunner," Skinner added. "But things have changed."

"The last time we saw you, you were in physical therapy and then you were gone. Poof. We came to visit you and you had left."

"I decided to start over down here."

"What's down here?", Mulder asked.

"Just a new start," Skinner said, wheeling himself to his spot by the monitors, and in front of the tv. "Thought it was time to get far away from all that was in D.C."

Mulder shot a look at Scully but she ignored him. She was too busy prying Zoe's fingers from Skinner's pill bottles.

Caroline pointed towards the sofa. "Make yourself at home."

Mulder and Scully sat with Zoe on the sofa. William stared at the alligator skulls stacked neatly on a shelf. He turned to Skinner. "You killed them?"

Skinner shook his head. "My real estate agent gifted them to me when I moved down here."

William turned, noticing Caroline staring at him. "Is he your dad?", William questioned.

Caroline smiled and shook her head no. "I'm his live-in nurse."

"Live-in nurse," William repeated. "You don't look old enough to be a nurse."

"Well, I'm twenty four, so..."

William pushed the strands of his hair out of his eyes as he looked her over. "Nice!"

"The Smoking man forced Monica Reyes to hit me with his car. I had no choice but to shoot her,", Skinner confessed. "He left me to die...again."

Scully placed her hands on her lap. "Sir, no one blames you for that."

Skinner sighed. "When you lose your wife, you lose your dignity...long before you lose your legs...it's just time to move on."

Mulder nodded. "I understand."

Skinner looked at Zoe who was whining and flopping on the floor in a tantrum. "So what happened?"

"They came after me," William said. "They said they'd come after Zoe next."

Skinner shook his head. "I was afraid of that," he said, looking over his former agents. "He's relentless."

"Evil doesn't die so easily," Mulder added.

"You'll be safe here. I have camera's everywhere," Skinner said, pointing up to the ceiling that housed three camera's pointing to the front door, the kitchen and the bedroom.

"Anyone that comes on my property, I'll know it," he said, pointing to a row of camera's set up on a table in the corner.

"We just need to stay a few days until we get William's papers," Mulder said. "We're trying to get him to a place that's safe. A place he can stay permanently. We've purchased the property and the new birth certificates and the rest. I'm just waiting on my contacts to clear the name we picked for him."

"Your contacts?", Skinner asked.

"Friends of The Lone Gunmen."

Skinner nodded. "Well, you'll be safe here."

He turned towards Caroline. "Take them out to the guest house," he turned back to them. "It's not much. They're Yurts."

"Yurts?", Scully questioned. "As in, Yurts?"

"It's popular down here," Skinner said. "There's one that I use as a guest house and the other one is Caroline's home."

"I'll take you there," Caroline said, leading them through the kitchen, out the back door to a long wooden walkway along a tree lined path. Caroline noticed that William was walking by her side. She chuckled as they continue until they came across an opening with two earth tone Yurts with cloth coverings. The Yurts blended in with the surrounding trees, Scully noticed.

Caroline unlocked the door of the Yurt, and Zoe raced into the circular enclosure, ducking into the bedroom separated by a thin grass woven wall. Scully followed Zoe into the Yurts' only room and noticed the large bedroom. Scully moved to the connected bathroom, noticing that the shower was an addition with steps leading down to a flat floor of wooden slats and no ceiling, opened to the sky.

Scully returned to the living room and noticed that the walls were made of lattice and the windows were made of plastic fixed into the Yurt's covering like a tent. It reminded Scully of the time she was a kid and they had visited a roadside attraction, a large teepee that had been made in China. Scully scanned the small kitchen and living room combo. There was a fridge and a sink and a small table, and a rounded sofa fitted to the rounded walls. Zoe had plopped down in front of the mounted TV, flipping channels.

Caroline turned to William. "I have a couch in my Yurt, if you're interested."

Scully turned quickly, crossing her arms and staring at the young lady. William nodded his head as he stared at Caroline's sun bleached hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was smiling at him wickedly. He blushed as he noticed that Caroline was dressed in shorts and flip flops and a t-shirt that indicated that she was indeed a staff member from a local Nursing Organization. "Yeah, sure," William said. "I'll be back with my stuff."

Both Mulder and Scully stared at the two of them. Mulder could see Scully's eyebrows raised high.

Mulder smirked. "I'll go with you son and get our stuff."

Mulder turned and kissed Scully on her cheek. He mouthed, "He's a Heartbreaker," as he turned and patted William on the back. They walked back on the path towards the cars.

 **Please, Leave Feedback-Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Starting Over**

 **Part 9**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

Scully watched as Zoe raced around the Yurt excitedly. She sat down on the sofa, needing to rest. It had been a long journey and her adrenaline had been raised, causing her to crash. She wasn't a young woman any longer but lately she had noticed that she was more exhausted then normal. She caulked it up to her age. In just eleven years, she would be a seventy year old woman with a fifthteen year old daughter. She sighed, feeling as if her limbs were made of cement as she watched Zoe run around on the bamboo floors. Mulder touched her shoulder and she jumped, glancing up at him.

"What is it, Scully?"

"It's nothing," she sighed. "I am pretty fatigued though. It was a long trip," she said, looking at their daughter. "You can watch her while I take a nap, right, Mulder?"

Mulder tossed their bags on the floor. "Yeah, sure," he said, as Scully laid down on the circular sofa. Mulder sat down on the edge, lifting Scully's feet onto his lap. He watched as Zoe played on the floor with Mrs. Tolbert.

Scully turned seeing their son standing in the doorway "William, are you staying with Caroline?"

He smiled shyly. "Yeah, if that's alright?"

Scully glanced at Mulder, who was smiling. "Sure," Mulder added. "Why not."

William walked up to Scully. "Are you alright?"

She sat up on her hunches. "I'm just tired. Nothing to worry about. I guess we've become too comfortable the last five years. Haven't had to do any of this."

William sighed. "I'm sorry. This is exactly what I didn't want."

Scully searched her son's eyes. She stood up and touched his cheek. "Do you think it would make me feel better to know you're out there, running scared, not knowing where you are?"

William wrapped his arms around his mother, holding her tightly. Mulder sighed. "We're a family. We stick together."

William released Scully and she could see a tear in his eye. She smiled up at him. "I love you."

William nodded his head and glanced at his father and then his sister. "I love you too," he said, reluctantly. He turned and stepped out of their Yurt, headed for the Yurt next to theirs. Zoe looked at her parents. "Where's brother going?"

"He's going to have a little fun," Mulder smirked.

"Mulder!", Scully gasped.

Mulder chuckled as he looked at the shocked expression on Scully's face. "You know it's true."

Zoe pulled on her mother's arm. "I wanna have fun..."

"Umm," Mulder said, awkwardly.

Scully shot him a glance. "You fix this!"

"We're having fun, right?", Mulder said.

Zoe stuck out her lip and moped. Scully sighed. "Mulder, she watches everything we do."

"Sorry," Mulder said. "It's not the first time I stepped in it."

Scully smirked. "That's the truth."

Mulder began to unpack their bags. He stuffed their leftover snacks and water into the fridge and then collapsed onto the sofa. Scully snuggled up to his side. Zoe busied herself as she spread out her toys on the floor, playing. Mulder closed his eyes as he cuddled up to Scully. Zoe stared at her parents who had fallen asleep. She climbed up on the sofa against them and closed her own eyes.

William dumped his bag in Caroline's Yurt and marched with her back into Skinner's home. "I've got to cook dinner for everyone," she stated. "You mind helping me?"

"No problem, even though I don't really know how to cook," William stated.

"Wash those hands!", she demanded.

William quickly washed his hands and returned to her side.

Caroline began pulling vegetables from the fridge handing them to William. He placed them on the table.

"I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow," she yelled out.

William turned to see Skinner in the doorway. "Get whatever you need."

Caroline looked back at her boss. "William is going to help me tomorrow."

Skinner focused on William. "How old are you now?"

William stared at the man in front of him. He could feel there was a familiarity but he wasn't sure the connection between himself and Walter Skinner. "I'm twenty one now."

"Time jumps," Skinner added. "It's been along time."

"My parents," William began. "They really didn't explain to me who you were to them. I mean, I know you were in the FBI from your photos but..."

"I was their Boss at the FBI. I was the Assistant Director of the FBI."

"So..." William said. "So you were pretty high up there, huh?"

Skinner pursed his lips. "Yeah well, things can change in an instant."

"What happened?", William pointed to his legs.

"The day that you were on the docks. I drove your mom there. The Smoking Man rammed his car into me. I ducked below your father's car. Part of my spine was crushed, making me paralyzed. Your parents found me underneath their car."

William glanced down and then looked up to Skinner. "I didn't know that."

Skinner nodded. "I knew you as a baby," he said. "Seeing you here as a grown man..."

William looked at Caroline. "Yeah well..."

Caroline smiled as she looked at William. "Twenty one, huh?", she smirked, as she pulled out the cutting boards. "We've got to make more food than normal, so let's get started."

"I'll take my dinner in my office," Skinner said, wheeling away.

William turned to Caroline. "Friendly, huh?"

She shrugged. "He has his weights in his office. He likes to work out in the evenings and not be disturbed."

William moved over to the table and listened to Caroline's instructions as they began to cut up veggies and began to whip up the dinner. William let his eyes wander from her legs on up to her eyes. It had been awhile since he allowed himself to even think about a woman. He missed the interaction between himself and a girl around his own age. Normally, he disguised himself as someone older as he ran, never sleeping in the same place twice. Caroline stopped and looked at him. "Drool some other time."

William blushed and glanced down shyly as he cut up the broccoli spears. She placed Skinner's food on a tray and knocked on his door, waiting for him to answer.

"Come in," he said.

Caroline pushed open Skinner's office door. William stood in the doorway as he watched her walk over to Skinner and placed it on his desk. Skinner was sitting in his wheelchair in front of a floor to ceiling mirror, curling weights. "Let me know when you're done," she said, before closing the door behind her. Skinner was unresponsive as Caroline fiddled around in his office, picking up his garbage before closing the door behind her.

After eating dinner in the dining room alone, Mulder, Scully and Zoe headed back to their Yurt,. Caroline recruited William to help her with her duties, washing the dishes, and cleaning the house. She removed Skinner's tray and followed behind Caroline and Skinner as he retreated into his bedroom. Caroline held up her hand. "Go sit in the living room. I'll be back."

When Caroline returned, William stood up. "Is he okay?"

"He has a wheelchair accessible shower. He transfers himself to the shower chair. He undresses himself, showers himself, everything. He just needs us for the other things. He's a dignified man. "

William turned to Caroline. "You do all this alone? Cooking all of his meals and cleaning the entire house all by yourself?"

Caroline smiled. "I get paid pretty well for it."

"But you do everything."

"I'm the dayshift" she corrected him. "The night shift guy sits with him at night and cares for his needs, if any. And I only work four days a week. I have a replacement that commutes here for the other days. So, there's a total of three of us. It's just that I'm the one that lives here. It's free room and board, no bills. It's a pretty nice gig. He's quiet. Doesn't ask for much. He prefers to do as much for himself as he can," she said, glancing at her phone. "The night shift guy, James, will be here in a minute. He's got it easy. He basically just sits and watches tv all night. But, I'm off work now," she smiled.

William followed Caroline down the steps. He noticed his parents sitting on a wooden bench directly in front of their Yurt with Zoe playing by tossing the leaves up into the air. "Is your Yurt comfortable?", she asked.

Scully smiled. "Out of all the places we stayed in the past, I have to say, a Yurt is a first."

"We did stay in this mobile home hotel before," Mulder added. "It was a dump. But, yeah, this is more interesting."

Caroline opened the door to her Yurt. "Well, have fun," she said, entering the structure.

Mulder eyed William and then winked. "You too."

William sat down on Caroline's sofa, scanning the room full of bright orange and green bohemian decor. It was nearly blinding. She cleared her throat as she inched her way closer to him. "So," she said. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

William blushed. "Not for a long time..."

"You still live with your parents?"

"NO, " he said, shaking his head furiously. "I was adopted as a baby. I just reunited with them, my bio parents two days ago. I just met my little sister for the first time."

"She's quite cute," she said. "She looks just like your mom and you look like your dad."

William nodded. "I realize that."

Caroline sat next to him. "You're quite shy."

William cleared his throat. "I wasn't when I was younger."

"Why are you shy now?"

William shrugged. "I don't you. You don't know me. This whole situation is new."

Caroline sighed. "Why are ya'll here? Your mom said something about people coming after ya'll. What's that about?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," William said.

"You don't want to talk about it?"

"No," he said. "I don't want to think about any of that."

Caroline slid her hand alongside the back of the couch and then reached out and ran her fingers through his long dark hair. "Maybe I can help with that."

William opened his eyes and stared up at the wooden circle posts that made up the ceiling of the Yurt. He turned to his side and watched as Caroline snuggled deeper under the covers. He tossed the blanket off and placed his feet on the cold floor. He grabbed his boxers and slipped them on. He padded his way to the bathroom and then after relieving himself, walked to the front door and stepped out.

"Oh hey," Mulder said.

William was surprised to see his father sitting outside of their Yurt, dressed only in his own boxers as he stared up at the night sky.

"Looking for aliens?", William asked.

"Actually, I am," Mulder answered. He turned his attention back to his son. "So, it happened, huh?"

William walked closer and smiled. "Yeah, it did."

He patted William on the back. "I figured that was what the loud Bob Marley music was for, to drown out any sounds."

"You didn't...", William asked, horrified.

"No," Mulder answered. "No, it worked."

"Good. That would be embarrassing."

"As long as you didn't hear us," Mulder said.

William grimaced.

Mulder smiled. "Sorry. No one wants to think of their parents..."

"NO," William sighed.

"You ever heard from those girls again?"

William looked at him baffled. "Who?"

"You had two girlfriends just a few years back."

William chuckled. "And no. Never heard from them since. "I was young and foolish then."

"Yeah, weren't we all", Mulder sighed. "You know, I think there was only one time I had two women fighting over me," Mulder said. "One of them was your mom."

"Really?", William said surprised.

"I was quite the looker in my day," Mulder smiled. "Kind of like you. Women were constantly throwing themselves at me. That didn't sit well with your mom. Actually, your mom was always pissed any time any woman flirted or even knew me," Mulder chuckled. "We were just partners but she could be quite jealous."

William shook his head. "Well, we all know who won."

Mulder laughed. "You bet she won. It was never really a contest. She had no competition, she only thought she did."

"Is mom still asleep?"

"Zonked out," Mulder chuckled. "She's pretty exhausted. She's been tired a lot lately," he said, concerned.

William stared at his father. "She does seem pretty tired."

Mulder stared at him but was silent, the wheels in his head churning. William knew what he was thinking.

"How long has it been since she had cancer?"

Mulder looked surprised. "A long time. I almost lost her and if I had, you and your sister wouldn't be here."

They sat in silence for some now until William spoke up. "Any word on that paperwork?"

Mulder seemed grateful to break his current train of thought. He whipped out his phone and checked. "Two days tops. They're double checking the name, making sure it won't trigger any law enforcement alarms. That's the only thing holding us up. They have the deed to the land in Alaska already. Everything is ready to go. I just need to take your pic and they can make your new identity is squared away."

William nodded. "I don't know how to thank you."

"You're our son..."

William glanced down at his feet. The front door opened and Mulder turned to see Zoe sleepily walking towards them both. "Daddy, I went into your bedroom and you were gone. It was only mommy."

William picked her up and placed her on his knee. She grabbed him around the neck and laid her head on his shoulder. "Brother...why are you in her house? Is it cause you're a grownup?"

William chuckled. "Yeah."

Zoe pulled back and looked him in the eye. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Mulder ran his hand through Zoe's bright red hair. "Yes, she's your brother's girlfriend."

"Does that mean they kiss like you and Mommy do?"

William turned to Mulder . "Yeah, that's exactly what we do."

Zoe jumped off William's lap and grabbed Mulder's hand. "Daddy...come back to bed. I'm sleepy."

Mulder smiled. "Say goodnight to your brother."

Zoe looked at William. "Goodnight Brother."

"Goodnight Zoe."

"Goodnight son."

"Goodnight," William said, watching as they retreated back inside their Yurt. William slipped back into Caroline's bed. She shifted and pressed her head to his chest. "Your sister is adorable," she whispered.

"You could hear us?"

"The walls of these Yurts is made out of cloth, why do you think I played Bob Marley while we were...You know."

"Yeah," William said, rubbing her bare shoulders. "I just want you to know that we're leaving in just a few days..."

Caroline looked up at William. "Okay," Caroline said firmly. "I need to know what's going on? What did you or your parents do?"

William sighed. "None of us did anything. Look, I know you're concerned, but you shouldn't be."

"You don't think they'd come here, do you?", she asked.

"It's possible."

She sat up and stared at him. "Mr. Skinner has two safe-rooms put in. He makes us run drills once a month."

William nodded. "That's a good thing."

"There's one off from his office and one in the shed. It only looks like a shed."

"Good," William sighed. "Hopefully, we won't need it."

"I used to think it was because he was a military man or the A.G. of the FBI, but I see he wasn't so crazy, was he?"

"Not at all."

William opened his eyes to the sound of a shower. He watched as Caroline dropped her towel in front of him, baring her naked body to his admiration. She dressed quickly. "I get up pretty early. Mr. Skinner likes his breakfast pretty early. He likes to workout in the morning and then clean his guns. James, the night guy gets to go home. I have to wake him up before Skinner sees him sleeping on the sofa."

"Have you slept with him too?", William said, a hint of jealousy tainting his tone. "The night guy?"

Caroline smirked. "When you aren't lying in my bed? Yeah, I sleep with James. I live far off in no-man's land. My only human interactions are at the doctors office, the pharmacy and the grocery store. You bet I sleep with him. And when you're gone, I'll still be sleeping with him. Why? It's not like one roll in the hay will make you marry me. You do you, I do me..."

William watched as she blew him a kiss and closed the door of her Yurt behind her, leaving him in bed alone. He fell back asleep but was again awaken by a knock on the door. "William?", he heard his mother say. "Breakfast is ready."

He glanced at the alarm clock by the nightstand. Two hours had passed since Caroline had left. "I'll be there soon."

William watched her diminutive shadow fade away and he got up and quickly showered and then dressed. He closed the Yurt door behind them and followed the wooden pathway back to the main house. He opened the backdoor and bound up the steps, stopping at the kitchen where Caroline was cooking at the stove. She paused and looked at him. "Hey..."

"Hey," he said, kissing her on the lips. "I fell back to sleep."

"You look relaxed," Caroline smirked.

William smiled. "I am now, thanks to you."

Caroline smirked. "Well, your family is waiting for you in the dining room."

William grabbed the bowls full of eggs and oatmeal and placed them on the table.

"There he is," Mulder smiled."

Scully's eyebrow were raised as she noticed the afterglow on her son's face. "Tell Caro!ine, Bob Marley doesn't cover everything. "

Williams eyes enlarged. He shot a glanced over to Mulder who turned slowly towards her. "Scully!"

William slid into his seat, his neck and face red from embarrassment. Mulder chuckled as he looked at him. "And she complains that I have no filter."

Skinner wheeled right up to the table at the head with Mulder and Scully seated next to him. "Good morning," he said.

"Morning, sir," Scully answered.

Zoe was seated on a stack of books next to Scully as she chewed on a cut up piece of sausage. Caroline brought in condiments as she sat down next to Skinner with William to her side. They sat staring at Skinner, waiting on him to speak.

"Well, eat," Skinner said. "Don't let me hold you up."

Scully pushed a bowl of Oatmeal up to Zoe. "Eat."

Zoe shook her head. "I don't like it."

"If you don't eat, you'll have to sit here until you do."

Zoe sighed heavily and grabbed her spoon, stuffing her mouth.

Skinner turned to his former Agents. "I don't mean to shut you all out or anything," he said. "I like routine. I eat my dinner in my office at night, every night. And in the day, I sit here at this table."

"We aren't offended," Mulder answered. "We've known you for over thirty years."

"You know," Skinner said as he looked around the table at Zoe and William. "This is probably the most normal thing we've ever done in all those years." Skinner stated.

Scully and Mulder stared at eachother, nodding slowly in recognition. "That's actually the truth."

Skinner who was donning a rare smile. "Out of all the Agents I had, I would've never guessed that you two would be still in my life after all this time. We've been through a lot together, haven't we?"

"We have," Scully added."

Skinner chuckled. "I mean, I'm surprised you two noticed anyone outside of each other. You were so obsessed with eachother. I never saw two Agents so dependent upon each other and so in love."

Scully slipped her hand over Mulder's. "And to think we didn't know even know we were in love with each other for several years."

Skinner looked dumbfounded. "I'm not sure why. Everyone else knew."

Mulder cocked his head to the side. "You mean, like all the bets that were going on throughout the Agency. Betting that me and Mrs. Spooky were a thing, when we weren't."

"Oh COME ON!", Skinner added. "How did you not know? You both went insane without the other. You were closer than I've ever seen two people, let alone two Agents ever be."

Scully and Mulder glanced at each other. "I think we were afraid," Scully said. "Afraid to admit it to each other and afraid of acting on it."

"Yeah, it took a few years," Mulder added.

"And now, here we are," Skinner smiled. "And two kids later. We've been through a lot, haven't we?"

"We have," Mulder agreed, sensing a shift in Skinner's mood.

Zoe noticed the shift as well and started dancing in her seat, trying to make the adults around her laugh. William smiled down at her and then looked at his parents. "You sure she's not special with some type of ability? She's super sensitive."

Scully smiled at Zoe, whose blue eyes were captivating. "My sister, Melissa, was like that," Scully said, looking at William. "She used her abilities to make a living. Unfortunately, I wasn't that open minded at the time. I became more willing to believe long after she died."

William watched as Zoe returned to eating her food, ignoring the adults around her. "You know, at the UFO convention, when I was sitting in the rows, she kept staring at me."

Scully looked at William. "What do you mean?"

William touched his sisters hand and she stopped eating long enough to notice all eyes were on her. "Zoe stared at me twice and I knew no one could tell who I was because of...", his voice trailing off.

Everyone turned to look at Caroline who looked up suddenly, alarmed that everyone was staring at her. "What?"

"She could see past my projection. She saw the real me. It's rare but occasionally there's a child that can see me for me," William stated. "And she's one of them."

"So what does that mean?", Scully said.

"It doesn't mean anything" William said. "Maybe she's like your sister, like you said."

"Maybe," Scully said, glancing at a tense Mulder. "Maybe."

 **Please Leave Feedback: Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Starting Over**

 **Part 10**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

Mulder paced the floor of the Yurt with his hands on his hips. "I thought we checked. I thought you ran every test possible."

"Mulder, I did," Scully said. "She's normal."

"What if she's not," he said, staring down at the little girl who was curled up asleep on the floor with her doll. "What if she's special like he is?"

"She's not," Scully said. "We've been with her every single day of her life, Mulder. And she has NEVER presented anything special or unique."

"Why did CGB say he would come after her next, Scully? Why would he mention her?"

Scully swallowed hard. "Your being paranoid, Mulder."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "No, I don't think so."

"So, what are you saying? That now our daughter is in danger too? There's no proof that she can do anything, Mulder. Just calm down, please."

"How can you sit there like that, Scully? You're telling me the hair on the back of your neck didn't stand up when he said she was one of those rare kids that can see the real him."

"No," she said. "Because I need PROOF, Mulder. I need actual Proof that my daughter is like my son in anyway. William was created by us with CGB's tamperings. Zoe was made out of just us. Just you and me, no one else."

"Except that you were fifty four years old," Mulder added. "Except that fact."

Scully huffed and crossed her arms in front of her. "How many medical journals did I show you of women giving birth much older than that AFTER menopause had ended. A woman in India gave birth at seventy one years old. Fifty four was nothing!", she screamed.

"Those women all had estrogen therapy, Scully."

"Zoe was my Change of Life Baby. Plain and Simple. I was still having periods, Mulder. And We had sex. If you weren't so bull headed you'd realize it is more common that you think. Besides, you were the one talking about it wasn't too late if I still wanted another child."

Mulder glanced down at Zoe who was wide awake and cradling Mrs. Tolbert. He bit his lip and sighed. "It's hard enough that he's coming after our son, Scully. I don't want him coming after her too."

"You don't think I know that?", Scully said. "When she was born, every move she made I was waiting for her mobile to move or for something to come flying out from another room and embed itself into the wall but it never happened. She's sensitive, Yes, she is. Melissa was sensitive. Melissa would talk about auras and things I could never figure out. Zoe is very empathetic of all of our feelings. Which is a good thing, Mulder."

"Didn't you say that William was like that with you?"

"Zoe is empathetic to everyone, not just me," Scully added. "She's perfectly fine."

Zoe stared at her parents as she began to cry. Mulder picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder. "What is it, Zoe, honey? What is it?"

"Your fighting," she whimpered.

"Zoe," Scully coddled. "Daddy and me didn't mean to wake you. We're sorry for arguing in front of you. Will you forgive us?"

Zoe sniffed as she wiped at her eyes. She continued to cry as Mulder rubbed her back, trying to calm her. Scully grabbed her from his arms and placed her on her hips. "Sssh, it's okay," she whispered. "Mommy and Daddy are here and we love you. We're so sorry, honey."

Scully sat back down cradling Zoe as she sniffled until she fell back to sleep in Scully's arms.

Mulder watched as she looked lovingly at the small human in her arms. "You're such a good mom, Scully."

Scully glanced up surprised. Mulder continued. "I couldn't have asked for a better mother for my children."

Scully could feel a tear forming in her own eyes. "You amaze me, Mulder."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "You...amaze me," he said. "Every time I see you with our daughter, I fall in love with you all over again."

Scully glanced away as the tears trailed down her cheek. Mulder pressed a soft kiss along her cheekbone. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled. "Thank You for that, Mulder."

"Anytime," he said, as his phone buzzed. He read the message. "They have the paperwork. It's all finished. They want to meet."

"How do we know it's really the Lone Gunmen's friends and not one of CGB's goons. What if this is a trap?"

Mulder pointed to his waistband where a gun was strapped. "There's only one way to find out."

"Take William with you," Scully said. "That way if anything happens he can..."

Mulder nodded. "Good idea."

"Where are they meeting you?"

"I'll have them meet us in Florida, in Jacksonville, it's just forty miles away."

Mulder could see the fear in Scully's eyes. "I'll be careful, I promise. There's too much to lose," he said, before planting a kiss on Scully's lips. He kissed a sleeping Zoe and listened as she sighed in her sleep. He smiled. "I won't take long, Scully. I promise."

"Just come back," she said. "Both of you."

Mulder stood in the doorway. "We'll be back soon."

Scully flipped the channels on the tv until it landed on one that Zoe approved. The child sat on the wooden floor directly in front of the tv as she held Mrs. Tolbert close to her heart. "Mommy, the channels are weird here."

"Zoe, honey. You can't sit that close to the tv."

Zoe turned and looked at her mother. "Mommy, when am I going to preschool?"

Scully sighed. "Come here," she said.

Zoe stood up and walked over to her mother. Scully ran her fingers through her daughter's red hair and looked into her deep blue eyes. "We had this conversation, do you remember?"

Zoe shook her head no. Scully continued. "When this is all over, we'll go back home and you'll start preschool with all your new friends."

"But, I don't have a backpack. I don't have my pencils or my crayons..."

Scully smiled down to her. "Daddy and I will make sure you have everything you need. From new shoes and new clothes to a pretty Princess backpack and tons of crayons and pencils."

"And a sleep mat," Zoe said. "I'll have to take naps at school."

"Yes you will. Just like you do with daddy at home."

"Can I bring Mrs. Tolbert?", she asked, holding up her worn out doll.

"We'll get you a teddy bear that you can take to school and leave there. Mrs. Tolbert has to stay home. She has to wait for when you come back home."

Zoe looked at her doll. "Mrs. Tolbert doesn't like that."

Scully smiled warmly and smoothed her finger across her daughter's delicate face. "You don't want someone to take Mrs. Tolbert home, now do you?"

"NOOO!", Zoe said.

"Then we need to keep Mrs. Tolbert at home, waiting for you so you can give her a big hug when you get home."

Zoe hugged her doll tightly. "Mommy, I just hugged her but I'm not back home...," she said, looking around. "I wanna go home," she said.

Scully reached down and hugged her daughter. "Your brother needs us right now. So, we need to be here with your brother. And when it's over, Daddy and I and you and Mrs. Tolbert will go back home, I promise."

Zoe looked alarmed. "My brother won't be there?"

"Your brother will be living in a magical place where he can live safely."

"Can I go there?"

"Maybe one day."

Zoe stood between her mother's legs, thinking. "Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"What if I don't want my brother to go."

"Mommy and Daddy don't want your brother to go either, but remember what I said about your brother being a grownup?"

Zoe nodded. She turned and sat down near Scully's feet, focusing on the kids programs on the tv screen. They were all new to her and she was intrigued.

Scully was on pins and needles as she waited nearly three hours for their return. Scully jumped up when Mulder opened the door, kissing her on the forehead. He headed straight for the sofa and collapsed next to Scully, handing her a manilla envelope. "Oh Thank God," she said, gripping Mulder's arm.

"Check it out, everything's there."

"You weren't followed?"

"No. The location was set ten minutes before they arrived. Everything was on the up and up. This was the Gun Men's friends."

Scully turned the large envelope around in her hands.

"Well, go ahead. Open it. William's already seen it. It's all there. His new name, new everything."

Scully opened the envelope and grinned. "Charles Willliam Soona," she sighed.

"Charles for your brother."

Scully sighed. "Yeah, my choice."

"And Soona in reference to The Thinker, a hacker friend of The Lone Gunmen. May they all rest in peace. Its my way of honoring them, indirectly."

"Charles William Soona," she repeated. "Sounds authentic."

"The name is cleared. He has a new birth certificate, drivers licenses, social security card, and also, the deed to the two bedroom home in Homer, Alaska, all in the name of Charles William Soona."

Scully placed the papers back into the envelope and passed them back to Mulder. He stared at Scully and then pulled her against him. "Scully..."

"I know...," she sighed heavily. "I know."

Mulder pulled her in closer, with her head resting beneath his chin. "I love you," he sighed. "And I know. I don't want him to go either."

Zoe stood up and climbed up Mulder's lap, inserting herself between her parents. Scully chuckled as she watched Zoe flatten herself against Mulder's chest, pushing Scully away. "Zoe, honey. Let your mom hug me."

Zoe shook her head no. Scully touched her daughter's cheek. "You are such a daddy's girl."

"Mommy..."

"Yes, my sweet girl?"

"Mommy, can we go outside and play? "

Scully kissed her daughter's lips and pulled back. "Yes, sweetie.""

"I think she's getting bored,' Mulder said.

"Come on," Scully said, grabbing Zoe's hand. "Let's take a walk."

Zoe hopped up excitedly. She snatched Mrs. Tolbert up and walked hand in hand with her parents as they pushed open the door and stepped outside to walk the grounds.

William sat on the couch with Caroline as she rested on the sofa. "Whatcha go to Jacksonville for?", she asked.

He shrugged. "My dad had some business there. He took me along."

He sniffed the air. "Something smells really good."

Caroline grinned. "Baked Chicken. The good thing about cooking something that takes a long time to cook is that I get to rest my feet while it cooks," she grinned, staring up at the large tv mounted on Skinner's wall.

"That's nice," he said, as she cuddled up to him.

"Like I said, it's an easy job," she said. "There's not much else to do out in these parts."

"Is this what you wanted to do?", William asked.

Caroline thought hard before turning to answer him. "No. It was probably the best job around. I mean, anything is better than working at Walmart, right? I mean, you barely get hours at Walmart."

"Where's your family?"

Caroline sat up and cut off the remote, turning her body towards William. "I usually don't answer these questions."

She could see the sullen look on William's face. "Well, since you answered my questions, I'll answer yours," she sighed. "My father is in prison for drugs. He was locked up when I was in middle school. Then like two weeks after that, my mom died of a drug overdose. And I was forced to live with my evil ass grandmother that hates me."

William looked at her intently. "Why does she hate you?"

"She called me loose," Caroline stated. "I was looking for love. I was young. I lost my parents and had to live with someone that showed no affection and just wanted me out of her sight. So, I got pregnant when I was like sixteen and I hid it from her. When she found out, she made me give up the baby," she sighed. "I left home at eighteen and moved here to Folkston. Actually, my boyfriend dumped me here. I got this job with Mr. Skinner. He gave me a place to stay and all I have to do is cook and clean and he does the rest. It's a pretty good gig. I'm getting my life back together."

William sighed. "That's what I want...to get my life back together too. To have a life of my own. I've lived as someone else for five long years. I'm tired of it. The irony is that in order to have a new start in life, I have to let go of the old me. I have to let go of my childhood, my birth name, my adoptive name...and my bio family."

"You don't have to go," Scully said, in a soft voice.

William and Caroline looked up to see Mulder and Scully standing in Skinner's living room.

"Scully!", Mulder said.

"Mulder!," she said, searching his eyes. "Mulder, please, I need you to understand."

"Scully, you know we can't protect him. And we don't want him to run the rest of his life. This is the best thing for him."

"I'm not ready to let him go again," she spoke. "We're just becoming a family. All of us."

Mulder placed a hand on Scully's shoulder. "I want him as safe as you do, Scully. But, he could never be safe with us. You know it and I know it."

Scully focused on William. She could see a sadness in his eyes as well. "I know," William said. "I already know."

"I love you," Scully said anyway.

"I know you do," William said. "I know you both do."

"We do," Mulder said. He locked eyes with Scully. "This was the plan, Scully. We need to stick to the plan to get our son to safety."

Scully could feel Mulder's eyes blazing into her skull. "I know," she said."But, it won't be easy."

"Mommy," Zoe said, interrupting. "Is my brother leaving soon?"

William swallowed hard and gathered his little sister by his side. "Soon, I'm going to my new house, far up in the woods. With bears and deer and beautiful mountains."

Zoe looked excitedly. "Are their princesses there?"

William glanced over to Caroline. "I'm not sure," he said. "I'm sure the princesses there are just okay. Not as good as the princessess here."

Zoe shook her head. "But she won't be there."

William looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

Zoe stared at Caroline. "She won't be around then."

"No, you're right," Caroline added. as she sat up. "There's no way I'm moving to any place that's freezing cold."

Zoe shook her head furiously. "You'll be dead."

Zoe watched as the color drained from Caroline's face. "What did you say?", Caroline jumped up, the look of horror on her face. "Why did she say that?"

Scully turned towards Mulder. He looked alarmed. "Zoe, honey, what do you mean?"

"Mulder, stop!," Scully said. "She must've heard us say something like that."

"No," Caroline said, frightened. "That was freaky," she said, walking backwards, keeping a distance between herself and Zoe. "What in the hell?"

"I'm sorry," Scully added. "It must've been something she picked up from tv."

Caroline shook her head and walked off leaving them all alone. William grabbed Zoe's hand. "Can I take her down to the creek that Caroline showed me? We could skip rocks."

"Yeah, sure," Mulder said, as he again paced the floor.

"Mulder!", Scully said, raising her hands. "Calm down."

William kicked open the front door and bound down the wheelchair ramp with Zoe holding his hand, dragging Mrs. Tolbert behind her. "Tell me what you saw," he said.

Zoe stared up at her brother. "She had a hole right here," she said, pointing to the center of her forehead.

"Do you know why you saw that?", he asked.

Zoe shook her head no. "These men came and killed her," she added. "And we had to run again."

"What else do you see?"

Zoe sighed. "The Mean Man...I see him in my dreams," she said. "He doesn't like us."

William walked along the path until they came to the creek. He picked up a stone and skipped it along the waves. Zoe raced around dropping pebbles in the water and laughing, leaving Mrs. Tolbert on the muddy shore. Mulder walked up and placed a hand on William's shoulder. "Tell me..."

William turned to his father. "She saw Caroline dead. She said some men killed her. And she said, the Mean Man doesn't like us."

Mulder stared out at the small body of water as Zoe jumped around the shore mimicking a frog. "Don't tell your mom," Mulder said. "I'm not sure she can handle that both of our kids are special."

"I get that I was some kind of experiment...Operation Crossroads," William stated. "But, how did this happen with Zoe?"

Mulder looked at his son. "That, I do not know."

William placed a hand on Mulder's arm. "She said we'd have to run again. I don't know how accurate her visions are yet. But, I believe her."

Skinner shook his head as Scully sat on the edge of the couch. "She's pretty freaked out. But, you know, she'll be fine."

"I'm so sorry," Scully said. "I never expected her to say something like that."

Skinner shrugged his shoulders. "I assured her that with my safe rooms and camera's and alarms all over my property and then there's my set up here," he said, pointing to his desk full of monitors. "Nothing would happen to her."

"Zoe's four," Scully said. "Kids at this age are blunt. They say what they think. And they say what they hear."

"That I do know about kids," Skinner added. "I don't think Caroline has had much experience around kids."

Caroline walked back into the living room and sat down next to Scully. "Sorry to have run off like that. That was unprofessional of me. I was just really shocked. I mean, a four year old little kid tells you you're going to die, it just sends a chill down to your spine."

'Again, I apologize," Scully said. "I think Mulder and I need to be more cautious what we say around her."

Caroline nodded. "She's a sweet girl. Very curious."

"Yes, she is."

The front door opened and Zoe raced in with a very dirty Mrs. Tolbert. "Mommy. I saw froggies out there."

Scully smiled as Zoe crouched down and began to hop around the living room. "And they said, Rabble rabble."

Caroline laughed. "You know, I have to go up to Walmart after dinner. How about I bring you back a tricycle. Would you like that"

"YES!", Zoe said, excitedly. "Daddy got me one at home. I could ride my bike all around here like vvroooom."

"Then that's what I'll do," Caroline said, rising up. "But, I better get back to that dinner or I can't go and buy it."

"Thank You," Scully said.

Caroline smiled as she walked back into the kitchen. Scully picked up Mrs. Tolbert. "I think it's time Mrs. Tolbert had a nice bath."

Skinner pointed past the kitchen. "Laundry rooms back there. Help yourself."

Scully held the doll away from her clothes. "Come on, Zoe. Let's get her all cleaned up."

Smiling, Zoe waved goodbye to Skinner. He smiled back and watched from his monitors as they walked down the hall.

 **Please Leave Feedback: Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Starting Over**

 **Part 11**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

Scully folded clothes on the sofa, watching through the window as William and Caroline chased after Zoe on her new tricycle in the dirt in front of Skinner's trailer. Zoe squealed in delight as they laughed and encircled here. It was after dinner and Scully had finished a load of laundry. She turned her head to see Skinner scanning his monitors, watching for any activity. Mulder sat down next to Scully, lulled into silence at the methodical way she folded each clothing item. His gaze settled on Scully. She gripped his hand and squeezed. "Why are you so worried, Mulder?"

"I'm not," he answered.

"Mulder, I know you," she said. "You don't think I know when you're lying?"

"I'm not sure when we should leave here and where do we go?"

Skinner turned to face them. "If you're worried about what Zoe said, I have this place pretty locked down. I was always worried that CGB might try to finish the job."

Mulder covered his face with his hands and rocked slightly on his heels. "What if he already knows where we are?"

"Come with me," Skinner said, wheeling himself towards the hallway. Scully stood up and with Mulder followed Skinner down the hall to his office. He pushed open the door and wheeled himself in.

Skinner pointed to a extra wide door that mimicked a closet door. "This is actually a safe room. It's bullet proof. It's indestructible," he said. "I had no wife, no kids, and after becoming disabled, I was left with more money than I could ever spend after years working in the FBI. All that money saved up. I didn't need much space but what I needed was security. I have trip wires all over my property, cameras, everything. Someone comes here, I'll know it. So look there," he pointed. "That's a key pad. You type 1013 and the door will open. There's food, water, a toilet everything. I needed a safe room I could wheel into with my wheelchair. There's space for all of you."

Skinner wheeled back out into the hallway, closing his office. "Follow me," he said, into the kitchen. Skinner pointed out of the window towards the backyard. "That shed out there," he said, pointing to a white building next to the Yurts. " Has a security lock. It looks like a shed but it's built like Fort Knox. You could shoot a rocket at it and it wouldn't penetrate. I sunk every dime I had in these safe rooms. I don't want to give that bastard the chance to kill me again. He's tried multiple times. I refuse to go out that way. Just Type 1013 for the shed and it'll open."

Scully looked at Mulder. "This is the safest place we could be right now."

Mulder nodded his head. "I have to agree."

"What I need to do and what I should've done," Skinner said, looking at them both. "Is to introduce you to my other employees. So if you see them, you won't shoot them."

"Good idea," Scully said.

Skinner pulled out his cellphone and text his employees. "James will be starting his shift soon. Mrs. Rivers will also be stopping by to meet you all."

"Good. That way we're all acquainted with each other."

Zoe twirled around the coffee table where everyone was seated until she spotted Caroline in the kitchen. "Would you like some ice cream?", she asked, Zoe. "You could eat some, couldn't you?"

Zoe nodded her head. "I could eat all the ice cream in the entire world."

Caroline chuckled. "Well, that's what I thought," she said. "I'll be right back."

Skinner watched the monitor as a black car pulled up and a tall dark haired muscular young man stepped out. He walked up to the door and knocked.

"Come in," Skinner answered.

The man stepped in and smiled when he saw Zoe. "Hey, a little Ginger."

"My name's not Ginger, It's ZO-WEEEY," she said, pouting and crossing her arms.

"Sorry," the handsome man said.

"Mr. Skinner," he said, acknowledging his boss.

"This is James, my night time guy."

The young man waved to everyone but stopped in his tracks when Caroline entered with a bowl for Zoe. "Hello, James."

James winked at Caroline. She placed the bowl down at the coffee table and glanced up shyly to William. "This is William."

James reached out his hand to William. William shook it. "Does he know?", William asked.

Caroline grimaced. "You're right. I apologize," she said, grabbing James by the arm and pulling him into the kitchen.

When James returned, he nodded towards William and sat down quietly on the couch across from Mulder and Scully. He was texting furiously and William noticed that Caroline was texting him back. Mulder and William locked eyes until Skinner cleared his throat. "Mrs. Rivers just pulled up. She works Friday through Sunday. "

The door opened and a woman in her late fifties entered. She seemed surprised at all the eyes upon her. "Mr. Skinner, what's this?"

"Don't be alarmed," Skinner answered. "I just wanted you and James to meet some friends that will be staying with us for awhile. This is Fox Mulder, Dana Scully. Their son William, and daughter Zoe."

Mrs. Rivers smiled generously as she extended her hand to the adults. She smiled down at Zoe whose face was covered in ice cream as she eat at the coffee table. "Hi, Zoe. I'm Mrs. Rivers."

Zoe stared at the woman but said nothing. She stood up and buried her head in Mulder's shoulder. Mulder turned towards Scully giving her a look. Scully shook her head understanding. Mrs. Rivers was embarrassed by Zoe's reaction to her. James was too busy with his text battle with Caroline. Mrs. Rivers settled down next to James, her attention solely on Zoe, who peeked at her but then buried herself further into her father's arms.

"So," Skinner said. "Mrs. Rivers and Caroline share duties. So, Mrs. River's will be here tomorrow until Sunday.. And James, just works at night, every night."

"That's right," James added. "I mainly keep watch," he said, pointing towards the monitors. "Making sure no one sneaks up on us at night."

Skinner seemed pleased. "James is former military. He's a good marksman."

James nodded in their direction.

"And Mulder and Scully were my Top Agents in the FBI. They're highly trained but have been retired for five years now. I'm sure nothing will get pass them either."

Mrs. Rivers looked surprised. Both Mulder and Scully sat glaring at her. She smiled shyly. "I like kids," she said. "My husband and I have always wanted kids of our own."

Scully turned slowly to lock eyes with Mulder. He turned his attention back to Mrs. Rivers and watched as she squirmed in her seat.

Skinner noticed the tension between everyone. "I don't mean to keep you long, Mrs. Rivers. I just wanted a simple introduction."

They watched as she quickly shot up out of her seat. "My husband is waiting on me at home."

"James, your shift starts in about an hour. You can stay or come back."

"I'll stay," James said, glaring at William.

Skinner nodded. "Okay, thanks for coming Mrs. Rivers."

She smiled and glanced again at Zoe, but Zoe was watching her carefully, gripping her father tightly until Mrs. Rivers had left. James stood up suddenly and followed Caroline out the back steps.

"How well did you vett these employees?"

Skinner unhinged his jaw and cleared his throat. "I no longer have FBI resources, but I did as thorough of a background check as I could. The Lone Gun Men's friends helped me. They all cleared. And I've watched them for the past nearly five years. I've run drills with them. I trust them."

"Well, I'm not letting Zoe out of my sight with Mrs. Rivers around."

Skinner glanced at Zoe who was still cradled up to Mulder's side. "I'll let her go," he said. "If that means I have to make myself a PBJ sandwich on the weekends, that's what I'll do."

"Thank You, sir," Scully added. "That makes me feel a whole lot better."

"Kids have a sixth sense that we don't have," Skinner added. "I trust what they feel. More often than not, they're right."

Mulder turned to William, just as the voices of Caroline and James arguing outside grew into a screaming match.

"I prefer if my employees don't sleep with each other but I never had much luck with that," Skinner said, eying Mulder and Scully.

Scully blushed. William stood up and walked into the kitchen, looking out the window as Caroline and James argued. Mulder walked up to him. "There's plenty of room on the sofa with Zoe, if you want back into our Yurt."

William chuckled. "Nah, she told me about him. He's just finding out about me. It's just for now. Nothing serious."

"You sure you wanna be involved in all this?", Mulder questioned.

William turned to give a look at his father. Mulder sighed. "AHHH."

Scully called out to her son. "As a Physician, I could tell you what sexual diseases do to the body..."

"MOM!", William said. "I used protection and still will. This isn't anything serious. It's just a fling."

Scully's mouth gaped open. "Did you say, Mom?", she stammered.

William looked surprised. "I guess I did."

"That's the first time, I ever heard you say, Mom. Ever," Scully sighed. "I've wondered what that would sound like for so many years."

"Is it too weird to call you Mom?"

"I want you to call me Mom."

"Alright," he said. "We'll test it out."

William retreated back to the kitchen and bound down the back steps. Mulder wandered back to Scully's side as she folded the second round of laundry on the coffee table. "Zoe, honey, place that bowl in the sink."

"Ahhh oookkaaayyy," Zoe said, racing off towards the kitchen. A few minutes later, they heard stomping as James flew past Zoe into the living room. He turned to Skinner. "Sir, I could use some cigarettes before my shift starts."

Skinner nodded. "Be back here exactly at the start of your shift. Prompt," he said, pointing to his watch.

"Yes, sir," James said, closing the door behind him.

"It's getting late for this little one," Mulder said, as Zoe wiped at her sleepy eyes and yawned.

"But, what about my tricycle?", Zoe asked.

Mulder stood up as his knees cracked. "I'll grab it. We've got to stop picking her up so much, Scully," Mulder said. "My back is starting to ache."

"I'll give you a massage when we get back to the Yurt," Scully said, gathering their bags full of cleaned clothes.

Mulder winked at Scully before walking out the front door and returning with Zoe's brand new gift. Scully grabbed Zoe's hand. "Say goodnight to Mr. Skinner."

Zoe turned and waved. "Goodnight Sir," she said, mimicking her mother.

Skinner chuckled. "Goodnight, Zoe."

They put a freshly cleaned Zoe down, curled up on the sofa with a blanket and Mrs. Tolbert held tightly in her grip. And after a shared shower, Scully dressed in one of Mulder's tshirts, her hair wet as she brushed it. Mulder sat on the edge of the bed in his pajama pants, waiting patiently for Scully to massage his back. She finally scooted on the bed and using some of her lotion, began to work the knots in Mulder's massive shoulder blades. "What do you think was up with that Mrs. Rivers?"

"Could be anything," Scully added. "She sure was looking at Zoe pretty hard."

"Yeah, I didn't like the way she was looking at her. Gave me the creeps."

"Mulder, I think you should talk to William again," she said, grabbing a wash cloth to wipe her hands. "I don't like the idea of him sleeping with a girl whose also sleeping with another guy."

"Oh come on, Scully, " Mulder chuckled. "He's a guy. All he's thinking about is that there is a girl that actually wants to sleep with him. That's the way guys think."

"Yeah, well, he deserves better than that."

"Scully, he had two girlfriends when we met him. Talk about double standards there, Scully. I never took you for a sexist."

Scully chuckled. "It's not being sexist. It's being a mother. You wouldn't want Zoe sleeping with two guys would you?"

Mulder shot up from the bed. "Don't ever say that again."

"See," she said. "Now whose being sexist?""

Mulder opened his mouth but closed it. "So, if I had a girlfriend, would that have stopped you?"

Scully sighed. "To be honest?"

"Yes, honesty. That's what makes us work so well," he smirked.

"I was raised Catholic but..."

"Be honest, Scully," he teased.

Scully stared at Mulder's wide masculine chest and at his pouty bottom lip. "With you? Absolutely not."

"Exactly!", Mulder said. "If you had've had a boyfriend, I would've been in your face so much, I would've been the only thing you ever saw."

"That's what you did and I didn't have a boyfriend," she laughed.

Mulder placed his hands on his hips. "And my plan worked."

Scully scooted to the end of the bed and stood up. Her knees began to wobble and her eyesight became blurry. She shook her head trying to clear her eyes of it's dizziness.

"Scully, you alright?", Mulder said, rounding the bed.

Scully screamed out as she grabbed the back of her neck and collapsed on the floor. Mulder raced to her side. "Scully?", he screamed. "Scully?," he said, kneeling beside her. "SCULLY!"

Zoe appeared in the doorway, screaming hysterically as Mulder attempted CPR. She was unresponsive. "Scully!" Mulder said, grabbing her lifeless body, and holding her tightly against him. Mulder could feel that Scully wasn't breathing. He felt faint. His heart was breaking and his mind was in a tailspin.

William raced into their Yurt, pass his sister into his parents bedroom. He knelt over her. "There's something with the back of her neck. Let's turn her over."

"She's not breathing," Mulder said, panicking. "She has no pulse."

Zoe was crying as she looked at her mother lying on the ground. "I can save her," William said. "Just help me turn her over."

Mulder along with William turned Scully to her side. William placed his hand over Scully's implant scar and like a magnet, the metal implant flew into his hand, leaving a small bleeding gap in Scully's skin. She lay lifeless on the ground, as Mulder began to fall apart. His earth shattering guttural wails came from deep in his core as he broke into a million pieces. Caroline appeared in the doorway, picking up a hysterical Zoe as she looked on in horror.

William placed a hand on Scully's chest, just above her heart and pressed. Scully gasped for air, opening her eyes. Mulder was cradled up in a ball as he stared at her. "SCULLY?" She sat up and touched the back of her neck. She pulled back her hand, which was full of blood. "What happened?"

Scully could see the pained look on Mulder's face. She touched Mulder's cheek. "What happened, Mulder?" she said.

Mulder gathered her in his arms, pulling her into his lap, crushing her to his chest. "Scully!", he gasped. "Scully. OH MY GOD. MY Scully."

"MOMMY!", Zoe said, jumping out of Caroline's arms and racing to her mother. Scully held her against her heart. "I don't understand, Mulder. What happened?"

William turned the implant over in his hand. "This doesn't feel active. I don't know why but this feels dead."

Mulder held Scully in his embrace, not fully understanding what else was being said. Scully could feel Mulder's entire body shake as she tried to calm her entire family. "It's okay, I'm here."

"You were just dead," Mulder managed to say. "Like a switch."

"Dead?", Scully said, looking at their faces. "How long was I dead."

"I think this was the reason right here," William said, holding the implant in his hand.

Mulder stood up suddenly. "CGB, did this to her. The implant. It came from CGB."

"It's not working. It doesn't feel like it's working anymore."

"He deactivate the chip that saved her life all these years,", Mulder said, growling. "It was him. He did this to her!"

"William, you saved my life?" Scully said. "You saved me?"

He looked into her eyes. "Its the least I could do."

Mulder slammed his hand on the wooden nightstand nearly breaking it in two. "So, the Smoking Man turned off the only thing keeping you from deaths door? He held your life in his hands and he knew it. You turn off the implant, you die instantly."

Scully sat with a distraught Zoe in her lap. The realization finally sunk in and she stared at Mulder. "Why now? Why would he do this now?"

"To get to me," William said.

Scully handed Zoe to Mulder and stood up and wrapped her arms around William as he cried into her shoulder. She held him tightly, cooing to him as she did when he was a baby. "I'm here, William. Because you save me. You saved me."

William pulled back and pressed his hand to her wound, closing it. She touched the back of her neck and smiled. "Thank You."

William snapped his fingers. "Where's Skinner?", he said, walking out of the Yurt.

Scully looked at Mulder and they followed behind William along with lighted pathway in the dark to the house. Caroline and Zoe were hot on their tails.

"What do you want with Skinner?", Mulder asked.

William placed his hand on the backdoor. "Something I should've done awhile ago," he said, walking through the kitchen. James stood up quickly from the sofa, surprised that they were there. "What's going on?", he asked Caroline.

She threw up her hands and followed behind Mulder and Scully as they all went down the hall to Skinner's bedroom. William knocked.

"Who is it?"

"It's all of us," William said.

They could hear Skinner shuffling around. They stood there for a short time before Skinner opened the door of his bedroom. "What's going on?", he said, wheeling himself out into the hallway.

"There's something I need to do," William said.

"What is it?", Skinner said, noticing the looks on their faces. "What happened?"

William stood behind Skinner and placed a hand on Skinners back. Skinner could feel an intense surge through his spine down to his toes. William lifted his hand. "That should take care of it," he said, walking past his family back through the kitchen and out the back. Skinner sat in his chair, feeling a sensation he hadn't felt in along time. Scully knelt down and stared at him. "Sir? Are you alright?"

"I'm...fine," he stammered. "I just felt a jolt."

Skinner yawned suddenly. "I feel extremely sleepy like I've worked an 18 hour day."

Scully looked at Mulder, concerned.

"I need to talk to William," Mulder stated.

"Excuse me, everyone. I'm pretty exhausted," Skinner added. "I think I need to lay down."

"What's going on, really?", James questioned in an authoritative tone. "What are all of you doing in here?"

"I really don't know," Caroline answered.

"I'm going back to bed," Skinner said. "I'll see you in the morning," he said, wheeling himself back into his room.

Zoe pulled on the long shirt that was covering Scully's body. Zoe wrapped her arms around her mother's bare legs. Scully looked into the tearful blue eyes of her daughter. She rubbed Zoe's back. "We need to tend to Zoe, Mulder. She's pretty traumatized."

"I'm pretty traumatized too," he added, placing his hands on his hips. "I...I..," he stammered, before biting his lip, and shaking his head.

Mulder wrapped his arm around Scully's shoulder, walking with her as Zoe continued to cling to her side. Caroline followed them through the kitchen and out onto the path.

"Wait!", Caroline said. "What just happened? I mean, I heard Zoe crying and you screaming. I rushed in to see her dead on the floor. William touched her. Simply touched her and brought her back. He then touches Mr. Skinner?"

"It was CPR," Mulder lied. "He placed his hand hard on her chest and she gasped for air, remember? I was too distraught to do it properly."

Caroline scoffed "I know CPR. I had to know CPR from the Agency to work for Mr. Skinner. He just pressed his hand on her chest. That was it. And I still don't understand why he simply touched Mr. Skinner on the back."

Scully turned towards the young woman, trying to change the subject. "I'm sorry that you had to witness such a horrible situation."

"I'm still confused," Caroline said.

William stepped out of Caroline's Yurt and engulfed his mother in his arms. "I don't ever want to see what I saw again. I already lost one mother. I don't want to lose you."

Mulder touched his elbow. "Me either, son."

Caroline stepped back. "William, I'll be in here when you're ready. I think I need a stiff drink," she said, opening her door and closing it behind her.

William noticed that Zoe was pale, clingy, and frightened as she held on to Scully's leg. He reached out and touched her forehead lightly. Zoe released her grip on Scully. William watched as Zoe yawned. "Mommy, I'm sleepy."

Scully looked at William. He smiled. "I erased that memory from her head. I don't want her dealing with that trauma the rest of her life."

Scully gasped. "Thank You for that," she said, kissing the forehead of her son. "And thank you for saving me. But, what was that with Skinner?"

William smiled. "His spine is slowly repairing itself. I figured if we need to run, he'll need to run on his legs."

 **Please, Leave Feedback: Thanks!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Starting Over**

 **Part 12**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

Caroline's arms were crossed in front of her as she sat in bed, her back against the headboard. "Am I crazy or do you have like special powers or something?"

William chuckled. "Special powers?"

He slipped off his pants and sat on the edge of the bed in his boxer shorts and bare chest. He pushed the blanket back and slipped in with her. "Like my little sister's cartoons?"

"I want you to be serious," she said, turning to look at him. "Is that why someone is after you?"

William chewed on his bottom lip. "The guy is my grandfather..."

Caroline stared at him. "Are you kidding?"

"No," he said.

"But why?"

"Because he's the most evilest man on this planet."

"Ha," Caroline smiled. "I've said that about my grandmother."

"No," he said, pushing a strand of black hair out of his face. "He really is. He's soulless. He told me he shot his second born and then he shot me when he thought I was my father, his first born."

Caroline gasped. "HE SHOT YOU."

William ran his fingers through his hair. "He's been after me my entire life. It's why my mother gave me away to be adopted. She didn't want too but they kept trying to kill me and to kill her."

Caroline collapsed back against the headboard. She threw up her hands. "But, why?"

William stared into her eyes. "Because I was born special. And you're right, I have special abilities. But, the last time I showed someone else other than my parents, it ruined my life."

"How?", she asked.

"Remember, when I told you that I had two girlfriends."

"Yes, I remember."

"Well," William said, sighing heavily. "I wanted them to see what I could do. I was seventeen. I was stupid. I didn't realize that they'd hurt each other. I didn't realize that I would attract the attention of the FBI, who ended up being my biological parents. But, I would also gain the attention of these outside groups that killed my adopted parents. I didn't realize that it would lead me to him...the Smoking Man...my biological grandfather."

Caroline stared at William. "This is F'd up. So your grandfather killed your adoptive parents?"

He nodded his head. "He caught up to me and then shot me and left me for dead. And that's when I ran."

"Where'd you go?"

"All over the country. Anywhere I could. And he'd send his goons after me and I'd escape and have to run again."

"Well, how did this all happen with being with your real parents?"

"Saw them at a UFO Convention."

Caroline's lips curled up. "NO," she smirked. "Come on, you can't be serious, right? This sounds like the plot from some crazy movie."

William smiled. "You've got me."

Caroline laughed. "You really had me."

"I did," he chuckled.

She reached out and pinched his cheek. He kissed her on the nose and lips. "I'm just...joking," he stuttered.

"Well, you got me good. I'll have to get you back."

William shook his head. "Not a chance."

"Well, let's get some sleep," Caroline yawned. "I have to get up early to cook Mr. Skinners breakfast."

"But you don't work weekends."

Caroline looked at him. "Yeah well, he fired Mrs. Rivers. And I'd rather get up early and cook his breakfast then to have the house burn down. And when you and your family get up, I'll cook for them too. I don't mind."

William reached out and kissed Caroline again on the lips. "Goodnight."

She sighed as they cuddled up together. "Goodnight."

It was early morning when William felt Caroline's kiss on his cheek. "Later, I want you to help me in the kitchen," she whispered in his ear.

He closed his eyes again and fell back to sleep. William awoke and stared up at the swirling wooden stakes that formed the ceiling of the Yurt. He could almost make out a tiny hole that opened to the sky. He yawned and stood up, padding his way into the bathroom. After relieving himself, he showered and then sniffed his clothes before noticing a stack of freshly laundered clothes his mother had left by the bed. The clothes had come from Caroline. He knew he was possibly wearing James' leftover clothes from his nights in that very same bed, but it didn't matter to him. It was clean and until he could get some clothes of his own, he wouldn't complain.

William dressed quickly and walked out of the Yurt. He stopped at his parents place and knocked. "Time for Breakfast."

He could hear an excited squeal from Zoe inside. "I want Pancakes, Mommy. With strawberries."

"Zoe, Caroline is cooking for us," Scully answered. "We'll eat whatever she makes for us and love it."

"I'll meet you inside," William said.

"We'll be there in a minute," Mulder answered.

William walked the path towards the house and rounded the corner and fell to his knees. He covered his eyes and then reopened them. In front of him was a gruesome scene. Caroline lay dead on the ground, a hole in her forehead with her brains seeping out into the sidewalk. William stared at the corpse of Caroline, her blue eyes clouding over. It dawned on him that Caroline had been dead for several hours as he'd slept.

Mulder grabbed his arm, lifting William up onto his feet. Mulder held his gun in his hand as he looked around. Scully was carrying Zoe on her hip, her gun ready in the other hand as they scanned the area. Mulder nodded for them all to follow him. Zoe stared at Caroline's dead body and then pressed her eyes to Scully's arm as she carried her. They walked carefully along hugging the wall of Skinner's home with Mulder leading a distraught William as they neared the backdoor. Mulder lead with his gun as he carefully walked up the stairs into the kitchen. With his gun drawn, Mulder walked cautiously into the living room and stopped, seeing that the front door had been left open by the assailant. James lay on the couch in the fetal position with a gun shot to the head.

Scully motioned for the hallway as Mulder walked on down with Scully in the rear. Mulder carefully opened Skinner's door to two men in ski masks each holding a gun to Skinner's bald head. "Where is he?", one of them asked.

Mulder stared at Skinner who was seated in his wheelchair in his pajamas, beaten in the face. His face bruised with cuts as if he had been pistol whipped. "I don't know."

"Don't play games, Mulder," the other one added. "Of course we knew you were here. Don't be stupid."

William tightened his fist. He could feel a rage growing within him.

"Stay right there," one of them said, pointing his high powered gun towards William peeking out behind Mulder's shoulder.

"NO," William said, shaking his head.

One of the men in masks approached them, his gun pointed towards Mulder. "I'll kill your father if you try anything."

He grabbed Mulder's gun out of his hand and tossed it to the side. "Come here Jackson", the man ordered. "Or your father dies."

William could feel the rage boil within him. William stared at the man and he dropped to the ground with blood coming out of his eye sockets and ears.

The other man attempted to cock the gun at Skinner's head but he and his gun flew back hard against the wall, before falling to the ground.

"He's dead," William assured him.

Skinner sighed. "We need to get out of here," he said, wheeling himself forward.

Zoe stood in the doorway, staring down at the man that was dead in front of her. Scully walked in with a towel from Skinner's bathroom and stripped it into two pieces, tying it over Zoe's eyes. "You don't need to see that," Scully said.

William walked up to Skinner. ""Toss that wheelchair away, you don't need it."

Skinner gawked as Mulder reached out his hand. Skinner stared at it as his mind attempted to recognize what was happening. Finally, Skinner grabbed Mulder's hand as he helped pulled him up on his feet. Skinner stood for the first time in five years. He stared down at his toes in amazement. "Are you saying, I can walk again?"

Mulder motioned for him to take a step. Skinner placed one foot out and then the other. "This is impossible. Shouldn't I have trouble walking again? Shouldn't my legs be atrophied?"

"Not if your spine is completely healed," William said. "It's like it never happened. You won't stumble. You won't need assistance. You can just walk, which is what we need."

William turned towards the window, listening. "We need to go," William said, nervously. "They'll be here soon. We need to get out of here."

Skinner walked towards the doorway, shaking his head. "Let me get dressed, grab my gun and let's go."

They followed Skinner down the hall. He stopped as he stared at James, dead on his sofa. "Let's go out the back."

Skinner lead the way through the backdoor, down the steps. He stopped when he saw Caroline's body. He bent down and touched her cold skin. "She was like a daughter to me," he sighed. "She didn't deserve this."

William stood above her, wiping at his eyes. "We need to go," William swallowed. "They're coming."

Skinner stood up. "I have an escape route," he said, as he stared at Caroline.

"What about her?", William said, wiping at his eyes.

"I'll make a call," Skinner said.

Scully held a blinded Zoe on her hip as she scanned the area, ready to shoot and kill with skill. Mulder began to walk towards the Yurts. "I need to get our stuff and his papers."

"Be careful," Scully yelled."We still don't know if we're alone."

Both Skinner and Caroline stared at Caroline's corpse, moving away from her. "There's nothing you can do for her now," Scully added. "But, we need to go."

Skinner and the rest walked behind Mulder, ready to shoot anyone that appeared through the trees. Mulder sped off towards the Yurt and after some time, came out and dumped their bags in the dirt in the doorway. He raced into the second Yurt, Caroline's space, grabbing William's clothes. He stuffed it into one of the bags.

Skinner lead them down a path past the Yurts, and past the creek to an area covered with a large hill of leaves in the shape of an R.V.. "Grab that end," Skinner said to Mulder.

Mulder noticed a tiny knot of rope sticking out from the mound. He pulled the rope along with Skinner, revealing a brown tarp that was covering a stylish RV. underneath it. Skinner walked towards another hidden structure near the R.V. covered with leaves. He grabbed a gas can and keys and walked back to the R.V. Scully and Mulder were still guarding the area. William removed the blindfold from Zoe's eyes. He was holding her as they watched Skinner pour gas into the R.V's tank. What took only a few minutes, felt like an eternity.

Skinner used his cellphone and dialed 9-11. "Some people broke into my house and tried to kill me. They killed my two employees. No, I'm not waiting. They're after me, I'm not waiting for them to kill me," Skinner said, hanging up.

He took the chip out of his phone and broke it into two, dropping it on the ground and stumping on it. Skinner opened the drivers side door and carefully, eased himself into the driver's seat. "Let's pull out of here!"

Skinner quickly started the engine and opened the side door for them. William placed his sister in a leather swivel seat, seat-buckling her in. She touched his hand. "It's okay," he smiled. "You and Mommy and Daddy will be safe."

William watched as Zoe sat back and sighed. William sat down next to her. He reached out and touched her hand. He could feel her fear. "What is it, Zoe?"

"The Mean Man," she whispered. "He scares me."

"He doesn't scare me," he said. "I promise to protect you."

Mulder tossed their bags in haphazardly and settled in the front seat next to Skinner. Scully sat down on the sofa, as Skinner began down the winding back road path surrounded by dense trees.

"Where are we going?", Scully asked.

"This leads to the highway," Skinner answered.

"No, I mean, where are we going?", Scully said.

Skinner turned towards Mulder. "Seattle. We'll get him as close to Alaska as we can."

"We have a few homes," Mulder said, looking back at Scully. "We can hide out at one of them on our way. That's how we ran the first time when we needed it."

"Alright," Skinner said, pushing through the woods.

William turned to his mother. "They are already here."

In a family car, an elderly man and his wife were driving down Route 40. He glanced at his rearview mirror and then when he looked in front of him, he came to a screeching halt, nearly driving off the into the ditch. A large brown R.V. pulled out into the highway from the woods nearly crashing into him and the other cars. Despite the mess behind him, Skinner continued on driving down the highway.

Two cars parked outside of Skinner's home. CSM took a puff on his cigarette before tossing it out the window. "We missed them, didn't we?"

CGB opened the car door and walked up to the home. "I see they left their car", he said, noticing the black SUV parked in front of Skinners home along with a truck and a car. His armed henchmen fanned out in front of him, walking over Caroline's dead body as they walked around the path in the back and checked the Yurts. Others entered through the front door. "Clear. Just two dead bodies that was our doing."

CGB walked around the mobile home and lit a cigarette. He puffed and dragged out the smoke as he looked down at the body of Caroline, a bullet hole in the center of her eyes. CGB motioned for them to search further. They quickly returned to his side.

"They couldn't have gotten far," CGB ordered. "Get the helicopter. Look for them."

Skinner glanced up through his rearview mirror, trying to see if they had been spotted. He heard the chopper blades before he saw two black unmarked helicopters flying in the sky in both directions of the highway, buzzing the tops of cars. Skinner grabbed his sunglasses from behind him. "Get back," he told Mulder. "I don't want them to see you."

Mulder unhooked his seatbelt and retreated to Scully on the sofa. Scully clasped Mulder's hand. He squeezed it tightly, letting her know they were together and they would be okay. He watched as her shoulders relaxed.

The RV was tinted, blocking anyone from seeing inside except in the front. The helicopter was buzzing around each vehicle, trying to see evidence of any of them. One of the helicopters whirled near the RV and Skinner stared at the driver, showing no fear. CGB's henchmen stared at him trying to determine if he recognized him despite the sunglasses. The driver then motioned to move on, as they buzzed the top of the next vehicle.

Suddenly, two blue Georgia State Police helicopters lay chase after the black helicopters. They quickly retreated with the State Police hot on their tails.

Mulder could see in Scully's eyes that she was uneasy. He smoothed his hand over her soft red hair and kissed the top of her locks. "I love you. We'll be okay. All of us," he said, placing a hand on William's shoulder. Zoe was jumpy, She unbuckled her seat and curled up to her mother's side. Mulder locked eyes with Scully and she nodded her understanding and began to talk to Zoe, trying to calm her down. "You're safe. You're with us. It's all going to be okay."

Mulder returned to the front, sitting next to Skinner and relaxed his shoulders.

"We should be fine now." he said, yanking off the sunglasses. "The R.V. is stocked full of food. There's two bunkbeds near the master bedroom. I'll need that space to rest after driving," he stated in a no nonsense tone. "There's a latrine and a tv," he said. "This R.V. will serve us well."

Mulder reached out and patted Skinner's arm.

"We've got a long trip ahead of us," Skinner added. "So, try to relax. Get comfortable."

The drive through Alabama and then into Tennessee was long and tiresome. Skinner found a R.V. Park outside of Memphis just as the sun was rising. He paid in cash and parked his vehicle there. They were on a single lot surrounded by trees and no other campers nearby. Skinner hooked up his R.V. to the electrical outlets and walked back inside. He moved past them into the kitchen. "There's food in the cabinets, rations if you wanna dehydrate something."

Zoe sat up from the couch. "Mommy, is it breakfast?."

Skinner snapped his fingers and then reached up into the cabinet and pulled down a jar of powdered peanut butter. He looked at Scully. "Just mix with water and you have peanut butter," he said, placing it on a granite countertop.

Scully stood up and moved to the stylish kitchenette of the R.V. and picked up the jar, reading the instructions. "Anyone else want a sandwich?"

"Yeah," Mulder said. "We're starving."

Skinner pointed to the end of the R.V. to a large door. "That's the master bedroom," he said, moving to the door next to it. He slid the pocket doors open revealing two bunk beds with built-in tv's on the walls of each bunk. "So there's beds and the couch," and he said, pointing to the leather RV sectional. "I'm tired. I'm going to knock out for a few hours."

"Thank You, sir," Scully sighed. "Would you like me to make you a sandwich?"

Skinner reached up into the cabinet and pulled down a bag of dried beef jerky, "Nah, but, if you want some beef jerky there's plenty up there."

"You've got sunflower seeds?", Mulder questioned.

Skinner chuckled. "No, I don't think so," Skinner said. "But, help yourself to whatever is up there," , he said, before retreating into his bedroom.

Scully started opening drawers and getting utensils she needed. "Mulder?", she said. "I need you."

Mulder walked up to the cabinets. "You find sunflower seeds?"

She smirked. She pointed to the cabinets that were out of her reach. "Look for some jelly and see what else we could put together for breakfast."

Mulder searched through the cabinets. "Everything is freeze dried," he said, pulling things out and tossing them back in. He found a few bags of chips and a jar of grape jelly. "That's all I can find that isn't military MRE's. I'd rather die than eat freeze dried eggs, " he gagged.

Scully rolled her eyes. "Fine. We'll have PBJ sandwiches and chips but we'll have to go grocery shopping at some point for more kid friendly foods."

Zoe shook her head in agreement.

Mulder bit down on his bottom lip. "They will all have cameras, which means CGB can find us."

"They can't find me if I disguise myself," William said, changing himself to look like an elderly black man.

Mulder and Scully smiled. "You're right. You'll have to shop for us all alone."

"Not a problem."

Zoe stared at her brother. William switched back and patted the seat next to him. Zoe sat down next to him with Mrs. Tolbert by her side.

"What is it, Zoe?"

She shook her head.

"Did you see me switch faces?"

She shook her head no. "I didn't see it."

William looked curiously at his sister. "I wonder why that is."

Zoe shrugged her shoulders. "All I see is my brother."

 **Please Leave Feedback: Thanks!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Starting Over**

 **Part 13**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

After Skinner had rested for a time, he moved them all further north outside of Nashville to another campground, inching his way along while there was still daylight. The park was packed full of other RV's, trucks and tent campers dotting the entire area. They were several miles outside of Nashville, far from bright lights and conveniences which made it much easier for them to blend in with tourists. Skinner connected his camper to the outlets and settled in for the evening, with both Mulder and Scully cooking sharing cooking duties.

After dinner, William excused himself and sat on a wooden log lit by a camp fire next to the RV. He could hear the mutterings of his parents as well as Skinner inside as they discussed numerous things about the past. He could also hear the sound of cartoons as Zoe zoned out in front of the tv. William stared at the fire, reliving the times he'd camped out under bridges and in the woods, using sticks to build a fire for warmth. He'd traveled wherever he could, changing identities as quickly as he could so he wouldn't be found. He mostly traveled in homeless veterans circles so he could sleep in a shelter for a night or two. Homeless Veterans are the forgotten people, and he could blend in easily sporting a different face per night. He'd learned a lot from them, listening to their stories of death and fear from a time that was distant to him but yet familiar. Their stories helped him at times when his mind was settled and his own past came rushing back to him. William tossed a few sticks into the fire, feeling the familiar warmth that cascaded around him.

William had been carrying with him a surge of guilt that had been eating at him since the discovery of Caroline's corspe. He needed a moment alone to process it all. He kept seeing Caroline's dead body in his head and he felt an intense rage building up within him. He kept replaying every moment and every word she said to him in the past few days. She'd made an impact on him and the lost of her had hurt greatly. William had seen a lot of death in the past five years but Caroline's and even James was raw for him. He balled up his fist wanting to strike out at something to ease the pain. She was all he could think about. A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up surprised when Skinner sat down next to him.

"You're thinking about Caroline, aren't you?"

William was quiet as he listened to the crackling of the firewood.

Skinner continued on. "I remember when Caroline came to work for me. It was obvious that the Agency had sent her with very little training," Skinner chuckled. "She burned all of my food and I wore pink clothes for a week. But, I saw something in her."

"What was that?"

Skinner sighed. "That she was determined to get things right and to improve her life."

"Yeah, well, look what happened," William said.

Skinner tossed a stick into the fire. "We can't do anything about what happened to her," Skinner said. "The only thing we can do is to make sure we remember he. And that the Smoking Man pays for what he's done."

"I keep wondering why we're running," William stated.

Skinner looked surprised. "What do you mean?"

"We're running. You ran after you were paralyzed. You built pretty much a compound and none of it helped. Why are we running? Why can't we face him?"

Skinner sighed. "Your parents have been fighting him for thirty years. Don't rush into things with Spender. It could go bad easily. You will destroy him but you need to do it when the time is right and when you are sure he's truly dead. Evil doesn't die that easily."

"My entire life has been spent running even if I didn't know why. My adoptive parents, the Van DeKamps, moved me away from my friends on the farm because of what I could do. And whenever people figured it out, we moved somewhere else. That's when we moved to Virginia," he said. "And then this entire thing happened. I realized who the Old Man is and why he wants me. I see it in my visions."

Skinner turned to look at William as he continued on. "There's a prophecy about me, about me working with them," he said, pointing to the sky. "Or working against them. The Old Man knows that he has to destroy me, so that he'll fulfill his goal of destroying the world," William stated. "He's used the past thirty years to ensure he'd live until the End. Every antidote, every surgery, every experiment he could get his hands on, he did. I'm the only one that can destroy him. I'm the only one that can bring him down when the time is right."

"I believe that. He'll keep coming after you to get what he wants," Skinner stated. "But, you will find a way eventually."

"It's just," William said. "A lot for someone to think about."

Skinner patted William's back. "It is. You have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Literally."

"I'm determined to destroy him," William said, his fist tightening. "I don't know when. I don't know how, but I will destroy him."

They sat staring into the fire, listening to the sounds of laughter and the slamming of metal doors in the distance. "You know," Skinner said. "You remind me a lot about your father."

William was surprised. "How so?"

"He was the most unwavering man I ever met," Skinner said. "You remind me a lot of that. Fortunately, for you, you inherited a lot from your mom as well so you're not as irritating," he chuckled.

William smirked. "That's good, I guess."

Skinner smiled. "You have to remember, I was their boss. And your father would make waves in everything he did all the way to the top. He actually reveled in the challenges. He would piss me off and piss off every superior he ever had. Yet, he had a brilliant mind, that's why he never got tossed out on his ass. Believe me, they wanted too. But, despite pissing off everyone, he kept his division and job. As his boss, it was infuriating to have someone always disobeying my orders or questioning me all the time. He's calm now, but as a young man, he was feisty and determined. He needed to prove he was right no matter the cost. Your mom softened him. She made him bearable. I could see how much your parents loved each other even back then and I have to say that intrigued me more than any case or theory they had. Their relationship was the strongest thing I ever saw and probably ever will see."

William remained quiet as Skinner spoke.

"Your father's need for the Truth, need to prove himself right, almost killed him several times," he continued. "You're mother saved him more times than I could count. But, I know that if you have even have a quarter of Mulder in you, you won't stop until you find the Cancer Man and end him for good."

Zoe held Mrs. Tolbert to her before rubbing her eyes and yawning. She turned to see her parents sitting around a table talking. She walked over to her father and pulled on his pants leg. "Daddy..."

Mulder picked her up, placing her on his knee. He smiled as he looked down at the even smaller version of Scully. "Yes, sweetie."

Zoe hugged her doll tightly. It was obvious that something was bothering her. "What is it, honey?", Scully questioned. "What's on your mind?"

"Umm," Zoe started. "Do I have to talk to the Bad Man?"

Mulder looked concerned. "What do you mean?"

Zoe held Mrs. Tolbert, looking down at her toy. Mulder and Scully exchanged glances. Zoe sighed heavily and looked up at her father. "You told me not to talk to strangers."

"That's right," Mulder added. "What do you see?", he asked. "What is it that you're seeing?"

"Mulder!", Scully said, glaringly.

Zoe glanced at her mother. "He wants me to talk to him. And Mommy, you told me not too. So, I don't have to, right?"

Scully looked confused. "I don't understand. Who wants you to talk them?"

"The Mean Man," Zoe stated. "In my dreams," she said, pointing to her forehead. "But sometimes, I'm not dreaming. I see him saying come to me. He wants to talk to me. But, I don't like the way he smells. He stinks. He smells like smoke. And he doesn't like me or Brother."

Scully could feel the prickling of the back of her neck. "You're right, he's a mean man. And the one person we never want you to speak to, is that man."

"We'll make sure that you won't ever see him," Mulder added. "We'll make sure to protect you."

"He's not going to hurt me," Zoe added. "He wants to hurt Brother. He won't hurt me. He wants to talk to me."

"Talk to you about what?", Mulder pushed further.

Zoe tapped the side of her head with her finger. She turned to look back to them. "He wants to see if I'm special too."

"Well, he can't," Scully added. "Zoe, he's a stranger and if you ever see him, you run, you hear me?"

Zoe nodded her head. "I will."

"Run and scream as loud as you can," Mulder added. "He's up to no good."

"Come on," Scully said, rising up from the table. "It's time for you to get some sleep," she said, leading Zoe to the pocket doors. Scully opened them and pointed to both bunk beds that hugged the wall of the RV with very little head space. "Which one do you want to sleep in?"

Zoe shook her head. "I wanna sleep on the couch with Brother."

Mulder stared out of the window. He could see the silhouettes of Skinner and William as they laughed by the fire. "Zoe, your brother is busy. Why don't you go lay down on the sofa and he'll be in as soon as he can."

They watched as Zoe slowly dragged herself and Mrs. Tolbert back to the couch. She laid down and huffed and whined loudly. Mulder shook his head. "Zoe, just lay down and close your eyes."

Zoe cuddled up to Mrs. Tolbert. "Okay, but I'm not happy about it."

Mulder stared up at the roof of the bunk bed above him where Scully was tossing and turning. He watched as the mattress creaked above him, shifting with the slight weight of her body. He could hear the crickets chirping outside the camper but he could not close his eyes to sleep. "Are you awake?", he whispered.

"Yes," Scully answered.

"I can't sleep."

Mulder watched as her feet appeared to the side, before she jumped down and then ducked into the tiny bed with him. He was pressed up to the side of the camper, spooning her. There was no doubt the custom built bunk beds were made for just one person with barely enough room to stretch out. And as cramped as they both were, it was obvious that neither of them could sleep without the other one. Not anymore. Mulder pressed flat against her, trying not to knock Scully who was teetering on the edge onto the floor. "Are you comfortable?", he whispered in her face.

"I would be more comfortable if we weren't sleeping next to our old bosses door sandwiched together like pressed wood, but it's the best we can do," she answered.

William walked up to them holding a zonked out Zoe in his arms. "Hey, there's more space on the couch. We'll sleep here."

Scully sat up and William helped her on her feet. Mulder stood up, hitting his head on the top bunk.

"Ouch" he said, rubbing his head.

William placed Zoe and Mrs. Tolbert in the top bunk and Mulder and Scully toed their way to the couch. They laid down, covering themselves with a blanket, still spooned together and grateful for more space. Mulder was able to stretch his long legs which had been going numb for at least a half hour prior. Scully could feel Mulder breathing against her neck and face and she found her eyes closing. Mulder wrapped his arms around her. He could smell Scully's hair and he immediately relaxed, as his eyes quickly closed.

William couldn't remember when he slept through the night, the entire night. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw flashes of the future, a future still in play. But, the Old Man, CGB, wasn't on his mind at that moment as his family slept. He closed his eyes, trying to still his thoughts but the images began to come. He could see his parents, screaming as probes were inserted into his mother's navel and into his fathers nasal cavity. In other images, he could see black worms crawling into his father's nose. The visions changed and he could see flashes of his mother giving birth to him. He sat up in bed, his eyes wide open.

William could hear Zoe whimpering softly in her sleep. He stood up and touched her arm. She opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He picked her up and placed her in the bed with him. Zoe rolled over, clinging to his arm. "Zoe, it's okay," he whispered.

"Noo!", she whimpered.

"What did you see, Zoe?"

She shook her head. "He'll come after me."

"I'll protect you. What did you see?"

Zoe sighed, gripping her brother's arm. "He's a meanie," she said. "He took you and me away from Mommy and Daddy."

William sighed and kissed the top of her head. "I'll never let him hurt you or our Parents either."

"I know that," she said.

"Is it just when your dreaming that you see him?"

"Mostly," she said. "Sometimes when I'm not asleep."

"Do you tell them?"

Zoe shook her head no. "If I get scared, I run into their room and get in their bed. The dreams stop then."

William sighed. "What does he say in your dreams?"

"He tells me he wants to speak to me. He scares me. He's been mean to other people. He was mean to another little girl."

"What little girl?", William asked.

Zoe shrugs her shoulders. "She knows Daddy."

"What's her name?"

Zoe thought hard and long. "Sah...man...tha," she said sounding it out.

William could see flashes of a dark haired little girl screaming, "FOX," before the image disappeared. "That was his sister."

"Whose sister?", Zoe questioned.

"Daddy's little sister but she's long dead."

"The Mean Man made her cry," Zoe said.

"So, it's more than just seeing the Mean Man. You can see a lot more," he said, more to himself. "You are special like me," William stated. "But, we can do different things."

"Like what?", she asked.

William opened his hand. Zoe gawked as she stared at a bright star turning in his hand. He closed his hand and the image disappeared. Zoe smiled. "Do it again!"

"Sssh," he said, placing his finger to his lips. "Maybe another time."

She opened her own hand and nothing appeared. He could feel her sulking next to him. She yawned and wiped at her eyes. "Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"You promise that you'll protect me?"

"You have Mommy, Daddy, Me and Mr. Skinner to protect you. That's all you need."

"You promise?"

"I promise. And no matter where I am, I will always know if you're okay."

"How?",

"Just like you see that Mean Man in your head..."

"Yeah."

"I can see you and our Parents. And I can tell if something is wrong. And if it is, I'll come back fast."

"I don't want you to go," Zoe said.

"I don't wanna go either," William said. "But, I have too. In a few days, I'll have to take off on my own again. And I'll miss you. A LOT. A LOT."

"I'll miss you too."

"I'll always be your big brother."

Zoe was quiet for a moment. "Brother?"

"Yeah?"

"What's it like where your going?"

William sighed. "I really don't know."

"I think it's going to be nice," she yawned.

"It's going to be lots of snow."

"I like snow...," she slurred.

"Me too," he said, noticing she was falling asleep. "Close your eyes. Go back to sleep. I'm right here."

Zoe closed her eyes and snuggled against him. William sighed, closing his eyes. He awoke to both of his parents smiling as they stared at him. "Hey," he said, sitting up, careful not to wake Zoe. "What time is it?"

"It's six a.m," Scully sighed. "And I have to admit, I took about a hundred photos of you both while you were sleeping."

William smirked but then grew serious. He stood up and turned in a circle, listening. "We need to get out of here RIGHT NOW!"

Scully turned to Mulder. "Mulder, Drive!"

Mulder raced to the front of the RV and grabbed the keys Skinner had left in the cup holders. He started the RV and backed up before shifting gears and taking off down the bumpy dirt road. Skinner threw open the bedroom. "What's happening? Where are we going?"

"They're here," William answered.

Mulder raced down the Motor Park road, towards the exit just as three black cars entered the Park at top speed. Mulder quickly headed for the highway, disappearing into the sea of travelers.

Scully grabbed up a sleeping Zoe from the bed and strapped her into the leather seat as Mulder drove at sped past trucks and cars. "How did he find us this time?"

William stared at his mother. "No one ever checked Dad, did they?", he said.

"What? What are you talking about?", Scully said.

"It's Dad!", William stated. "Mom, you had an implant but has anyone ever checked Dad?"

Mulder glanced back at Scully and William in the rearview mirror. "You think the reason they were able to track us is because...I have an implant?"

"That's the only logical explanation," William said. "We need to pull over."

"No, it's not safe right now," Scully added, sitting down next to Zoe. "We need to put some distance between us and them."

Skinner moved past them to the front of the moving vehicle, sitting down in the passenger seat. "CGB Spender turned off Scully's implant in an attempt to kill her. What could he do to you?"

Mulder turned his head slowly in Skinner's direction. "My abduction was different than Scully's. They wanted her ova."

"You don't know what they did to you," Skinner answered. "You don't know what they took from you or what they might have left behind."

"How do we find out?", Mulder asked, looking in the rearview mirror to Scully.

"We...find a doctor's office or a hospital and we get an X-Ray...but that's too complicated," Scully spoke outloud. "They would've found us by then."

Scully snapped her fingers. "An Outpatient Diagnostic Center. That's what we need!"

"It's eight in the morning, they will just be opening up," Skinner spoke. "How do we get him in there?"

"I don't know," Scully said. "I just know we need to do it."

"Has any implants showed up on my X-Rays, Scully?"

"You haven't had X-Rays performed since your abduction. You've been in perfect health."

"If he's tracking us through you, Mulder, there's no way we can get William to safety," Skinner added. "We need to know. If it's not you, then...we need to figure out how he knows where we are."

"Guide me, William," Mulder stated. "Tell me where to go."

William closed his eyes, seeing the building in his mind. "Take the next exit. We'll be there in no time."

Mulder continued to drive on through the wall to wall traffic of Nashville's rush hour. He listened as William directed him, turning when he was told to turn and continuing on until they came upon the Outpatient Diagnostic Center. Mulder parked along the side street and shut the engine off. They stared at the large building unsure of their plans. William turned to Zoe who was gripping Mrs. Tolbert. "What do you see, Zoe?"

She pressed her finger to her head concentrating. "Daddy goes in there," she said, pointing to the massive building. "But, there's wiggly lines," she said. "On the camera. They can't see him."

William smiled at Zoe and she smiled back. William turned to their parents. "I'll make sure the camera's can't pick up your face. I'll make them malfunction."

Mulder spun towards Scully. "Stay here with our kids," he said. "Any sign of them at all...Black cars, strange men, anything...drive off."

Scully shook her no. "We're not leaving without you."

"Scully," Mulder spoke.

"NO," she said, firmly, raising her hand to him. "Absolutely not."

"How will Mulder walk in there and get an X-Ray without being detected?", Skinner asked.

Scully turned to William. "I need to go with him. I can perform the X-Ray. It wouldn't take me long to read it. After all, I'm a Medical Doctor. I need you to watch her," she said, looking down at Zoe. "Guard her with your life."

William nodded his head. "I promise."

"What's the plan, Scully?"

"We could try to go through the Employee Entrance," Scully added. "They aren't always guarded."

"I'll be able to see what you see," William said. "If there's a problem, I can help with that too."

Scully reached down and kissed the top of her children's heads. "We'll be back."

William nodded. "We'll be right here."

Skinner nodded his understanding as he loaded his gun with bullets. "Don't linger, " Skinner added. "Get in and out. They're still on our tails."

Both Mulder and Scully looked at their children one last time. "We love you."

"We love you too," they both said.

Mulder placed a hand on Scully's shoulder. He could her fear. "They'll be fine."

"I won't let anything happen to any of us," William said. "Just go. I'll be right there with you. "

Mulder and Scully looked at Zoe who was seated in the swivel seat. She waved to them. Scully could feel her heart drop in her stomach. She could see her own fear mirrored in Mulder's eyes. Reluctantly, they stepped out of the Camper, slamming the door behind them. Mulder gripped Scully's hand and they walked towards the building.

"Oh no!," Zoe screamed, turning to William. "Those bad men are already here."

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	14. Chapter 14

**Starting Over**

 **Part 14**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

Mulder walked ahead of Scully in the parking lot, following behind a group of doctors in white coats. He grabbed the door before it closed and escorted Scully in. They stopped immediately, noticing a group of doctors in the entryway but they quickly realized that no one was noticing them.

"William is protecting us," Scully added.

Neither of them were dressed like medical staff nor did they have badges but the staff worked around them as if they didn't see them. Scully read the signs on the walls and turned down the hallway towards the X-Ray area. She ducked into an X-Ray bay and locked the door. Mulder waited nervously as she turned on the equipment. Scully noticed a white coat hanging behind the door and she slipped it on. "Stand at the yellow line, Mulder," She said, adjusting the equipment and pushing the film cartridge in place. "I'll take a few X-rays and see if it's good and then we can go."

"What do we do if I have an implant deep inside somewhere that we can't just cut it out?"

Scully bit her lip. "I'll have to perform surgery on you."

"We don't have time for all that," he said, pacing the floor.

"No we don't, but they are following us. They know where we are. If William is right, we need to remove the Implant."

She turned on the machine, as Mulder stood on the line, waiting as she shouted out instructions. When she was finished, Mulder entered the bay as she stared at the images. "Do you see anything?"

Scully gasped. "You have two implants, Mulder. Two."

"You're kidding," he said. "Two implants and I never knew all this time."

Scully pointed to his stomach on the X-Ray and to his leg. "They're both located in the hypodermis and are fused with fatty tissue. We'll have to cut it out and stitch up the wounds."

"Perform it where? Here?"

"We might need to remove it in the R.V.," she said, turning off the equipment. "I don't feel comfortable leaving the kids alone for very long. So, we'll take care of it there."

Mulder placed his hands on his hips. "William is capable of handling..."

"No, I want to get back to my babies," she said, with her eyebrow raised. "I'm a Surgeon, Mulder. I'll make sure the equipment is sterilized but I am not spending a second longer in this place than I need too. Especially with CGB's men coming after us."

Scully shut off the lights. She kept the white doctors coat on and walked with Mulder down the halls. Mulder spotted a man at the end of the busy hall dressed in a black suit, holding a piece of paper as he scanned the faces of people. Mulder grabbed Scully's arm and pulled her into a different hall. "They're here, Scully. We've got to get out of here."

Skinner started the RV. "I see three black cars pulling into the parking lot. I need to move us some place safe."

Zoe sat up. "What about Mommy and Daddy?", she said, tearfully. "I want my Mommy. I want my Daddy," she said, erupting into crying.

William reached out and touched her cheek. "We're hiding from the Bad Men. Our parents are okay."

Zoe shook her head no. Skinner pulled the RV down a side street but William noticed out the window that a man dressed in a black suit that was standing in the parking lot, pointing in their direction. Two men jumped into their black car taking off in their direction. "This vehicle is compromised," William said. "We need to ditch it."

Skinner raced the massive vehicle down the residential streets, coming dangerously close to cars. "We need to lose them first," he said as he raced through a red light, the black car hot on their tails. He swerved through traffic coming dangerously close to a Nashville City Bus. He continued on but the car kept up with them.

"Pull over!", William said. "I'll make sure they don't follow us."

Skinner stopped dead center in the middle of a busy Nashville street as people gawked. William opened the side door and stepped out, facing the black car. Two men stepped out, their guns pointed in his direction. "No tricks, no games, Jackson."

William reached out his hands, sending the guns flying. The men turned to look at each other and then began to run at full speed towards him. It was obvious to William, these weren't ordinary men. They grabbed him. "You think he'd keep sending people you could kill?", one of them sneered.

"That's not us," the other added.

Zoe screamed as she watched from the window as the men held her brother. Skinner raced out the camper door, shooting them directly in the head. Skinner waited for their bodies to drop, instead they were unfazed, grabbing William's arms, as they dragged him back to their car. William closed his eyes tapping into the minds of these entities. He watched as they released his arms and he stepped back away from them.

"What the hell is happening?", a man yelled from the street. "What the hell is this?"

The two men in suits stood frozen in place as William carefully walked backwards away from them. Skinner raced to his side. "What are they?"

"They're hybrids," William added. "They aren't human."

"Hybrids? How are you controlling them?"

William shook his head. "I don't know. Let's get out of here," he said, as they ran back to the R.V.

William tossed their bags to Skinner who was standing guard outside the RV. William grabbed his sister and her doll and stepped back out onto the busy Nashville street as crowds gathered around the two men who were still frozen in place. They were waving their hands in front of their faces. "Man, what the hell?"

William held Zoe as he and Skinner backed away from the RV. They ran off until William noticed a minivan parked along the street. "That one."

WIlliam touched the door of the van and it unlocked. He tossed Zoe and the bags into the backseat as he slipped into the drivers side. Skinner jumped into the passenger side as William touched the ignition and the car started. He pulled back out onto the street and took off, heading back for the Clinic.

Mulder's hand rested on Scully's back as they ducked into various halls trying to find their way out. Mulder found the Employee Exit, the same way they had come in. He guided Scully towards the door. Unlike the first time they came in, all eyes were upon them. Scully glanced at Mulder. "Something's wrong."

"I agree," Mulder added as they neared the exit.

"Wait. Hold on!", a Security Guard said, blocking the way, "Where do you think you're going?", he said, staring at Mulder.

"My husband," Scully smiled. "Taking me to lunch."

The guard stared at Scully. "I've never seen you before. Where's your employee badge?"

"Must've left it in the car," Scully added.

The guard pressed his hand on his stun gun. "I'm sorry Doctor," he said, attempting to read Scully's white coat. "Miller. But, I need to see I.D. I could lose my job."

Scully turned to walk back the way they came but ran right into CGB's goon standing directly behind them. "Going somewhere?", he asked.

Mulder grabbed his gun, pointing it at the man in black and kicking the Security Guard in the stomach, knocking him down. Scully ran past the security guard but Mulder was caught between the guard and the unknown man. Mulder raised his gun and shot into the ceiling.

"GUN SHOTS!", one of the nurses screamed.

Scully and Mulder raced through the door as panic erupted. Mulder and Scully stopped dead in their tracks as they came face to face with two more of the Smoking Man's men standing next to an open car door. "Mulder. Scully. Get in."

Scully and Mulder looked past them, noticing that the RV was gone. They turned towards one another. "They couldn't have gone far."

The door flung open as people raced out of the building, screaming for their lives as they tried to escape the shooting. In all the confusion, Mulder and Scully took off running through the parking lot on down the street to the spot where the RV had been. "Where are they?", Mulder yelled.

They turned when the two black cars sandwiched them in. They pulled out their guns, shooting at the windshields in both directions, breaking the glass as the bullets peppered the cars,. The Smoking Man's men stepped out, unharmed. Mulder locked eyes with Scully. "I was wondering what happened to those damn hybrids," Mulder said.

Suddenly, a minivan crashed into the side of one of the cars, pushing the car forward and coming close to hitting Mulder. The minivan came to a screeching halt. "Get In!", Skinner screamed.

Scully jumped into the back with Zoe who gripped her mother tightly. Mulder jumped in next to Scully, slamming the car door shut. William reached out his hand and suddenly the two black cars blew up with metal shards shooting out in all directions. "I should've done that in the first place," he smiled.

William looked back at the cars that were burning in the middle of a residential street. He pulled off, leaving them to burn.

They crossed into Kentucky before pulling into the parking lot of a local Pharmacy. Scully raced in quickly as they waited and kept watch. She returned and they headed off down the country roads in search of a place she could perform Mulder's surgery. They found a nearly collapsed barn on a dirt road and pulled in. Mulder tossed open the sliding door and Scully hopped out with her bag of medical supplies.

Scully pulled out an X-Acto Knife and lighter from the Pharmacy bag. She spread out her supplies on the plastic bag on the floor of the Minivan. "I'm sorry, Mulder."

He watched as she prepared for the surgeries. She placed a towel as a pillow for his head and made him strip off his shirt. She rolled up two towels and placed them on the sides of his stomach to catch any blood. Scully opened the pack of dishwashing gloves and poured iodine on a cotton ball before swabbing the entire area of his skin by his navel. Scully ordered Mulder to lay back on the long seat of the minivan. She stood in between his legs and sighed. "This is going to hurt."

"I'm sure it will," he said. "You know, in the movies they give you Bourbon."

"Yeah well, we don't need you drunk when we're on the run," Scully stated. "Are you ready?"

Mulder clasped his hands on his forehead, trying to keep from snatching the knife away from his skin. "No, but I don't have a choice, now do I?"

"No," Scully stated. "Let's get this over with."

Zoe covered her eyes with Mrs. Tolbert as she sat in the back row, trying to hide away from them. Mulder grimaced as she made the first cut. Soon he was screaming loudly as she dug in deeper. William slid open the side door and waved his hands. "Mom, this isn't necessary," William stated. "Let me get them out."

"I forgot you can do this. Go ahead," she said mopping up the blood.

"Thank You," Mulder said, as William rounded the car. He stood over Mulder's stomach and the implant flew out of Mulder's skin into his hand. William stared at the metal chip. He tossed it onto the ground and then moved down to Mulder's leg. He moved his hand over his leg and the other implant flew out from his leg. He then waved his hand over the wounds, closing them up. "There," he said, proudly. "Now, we can hideout without being followed," he said, tossing the second implant onto the ground. "Let's go."

The drive to Peoria, Illinois took six hours until they came upon the house that Mulder and Scully had purchased through The Lone Gunmen years before. They drove down the dirt road, reminiscent of their current home with farms surrounding the area and massive trees. They pulled up to a rundown house that had seen better days. Scully stepped out in the crisp night air and glanced around her. There wasn't another soul for miles around which was why they had chosen it in the first place. This was one of the homes they had lived in for three months after Mulder had escaped from Quantico. It was one of the many hideouts they had until they had been spotted and quickly vacated the home, leaving it as it was. It was a small two bedroom home with a tiny porch that needed repair. They stepped carefully on the rickety porch and Mulder located the key they had hidden inside a fake rock in the corner of the porch. Mulder opened the door and they stepped in, looking around them.

They gagged from the smell. Skinner grabbed his flashlight from his pocket and shined it around the floor. "It's littered in animal feces."

"We could sleep in the car," Scully suggested.

"No, it's too cold for that," Mulder added.

Mulder picked Zoe up, placing her on the dusty sofa. "Do not step off of this sofa."

"We left here in a hurry," Scully said, looking around her. "That was over twenty something years ago."

"There's no electricity," Skinner said, flipping at the light switch.

"I'll be right back," Mulder said, heading towards the kitchen and dodging feces as he went. Mulder threw open the side door and disappeared from sight.

Scully glanced around, walking into the kitchen and noticing old dishes with black mold on them. The shelves had the carcasses of boxes that once held food, long eaten through. She opened the fridge and covered her nose before quickly closing it. "There's something growing in there."

She walked carefully through the living room and slowly opened each door. She could see the master bedroom looked almost the same as she had left it except for a thick layer of dust that covered every surface. She stepped inside, remembering the nervous nights she and Mulder spent making love as they made up for lost time after his time apart from her and William. And she remembered the tears she'd shed over their son. The guilt had overwhelmed her back then. Her thoughts went back to all the arguments she incited with Mulder, trying to get him to react angrily, to lash out at her for giving up their son, but he never would. Scully had been in a dark place back then but Mulder, to his credit, knew her more than she knew herself. Instead, Mulder held onto her even more when she tried to push him away until she'd finally broke through the fog of her guilt. Those were testy times for them both.

Scully had left her entire life behind to run with him. She spent every second of that time afraid they would both be caught and she would end up in a jail cell along with Mulder. Mulder had been dealing with his own feelings of emptiness at that time, having lost his son he had only spent one full day with, on top of the guilt he felt for having left Scully and William to fend for themselves. They fought for nearly three months but loved extremely hard, never knowing if that day were their last together. She sighed as she looked at the dusty unmade bed with the older tv on the nightstand. This house had held so much pain.

Each step could be traced through the dust as Scully walked on to the bathroom. She opened the cupboard doors, finding her old shampoos and soaps as well as bath towels in place. They were for the most part, unusable. Scully walked back out into the hallway and entered the spare room that had simply a dust covered bed. She moved down the hall to the main bathroom and ducked in, noticing that the rusted out sink. She moved on to the back of the laundry room and was startled when rats scurried on top of the appliances. She quickly closed the door and returned to the living room.

"Looks like it needs cleaning up. The entire house is infested with rats. We'll have to spend some time cleaning up."

William flopped down on the dusty sofa. "That takes too much effort."

Scully frowned. "We can't stay here with rat droppings. There's actual live rats in the laundry room. Your sister can't stay in a place like this, even if it's overnight. You're gonna have to help us clean up. So, grab a broom!", she ordered.

Skinner stared at William. "William, you grab the broom and dust pans."

William waved his arm and the dust, the droppings and old dishes had vanished. Scully turned to look around. "William Mulder!"

He sat up. "Sorry, I can barely keep my eyes open. It's not perfect but the rats are all gone, the droppings too, the dust has all disappeared and any garbage too. You could sell this house right now, if you wanted. Now, we can all relax and get some sleep."

The electricity turned on and Mulder walked back into the kitchen. He looked at Scully. "What happened here?", he said, looking at the sparkling clean kitchen.

"Your son didn't want to clean," Scully said.

William smirked as he kept his eyes closed and rested his head on the back of the sofa. "Just tired. It's been a long day."

"Well, Scully," Mulder said. "Now, Zoe can get down off the sofa," he said, placing Zoe on the floor.

Mulder checked the light switches, watching as they turned on and off. "We at least have electricity."

"Which is great," Skinner added.

"We don't have any heat but we're now out of the cold. Let's eat our meal," Mulder said, pointing to the bags of fast food they had brought in with them.

Mulder patted his son on his back. "Thanks. You saved us. We've got the longest drive through several states to Seattle starting tomorrow."

William watched as his mom passed out the burgers and fries to everyone. "I feel like we can relax a little bit more now, knowing that the implants are all gone."

"We need to leave early, before the sun comes up and head west," Skinner spoke.

William stood up. "I think I need to sleep for a year."

"I agree," Scully said, looking at Mulder.

"I'll take the sofa, to sleep on," William added. "It's pretty comfortable."

Mulder nodded and watched as William walked out of the kitchen. Zoe's eyes were closed as she rested against Mulder's neck. He attempted to wake her to feed her, but she would simply shake her head and settle back with her arms wrapped around his neck. Skinner stood up. "I feel like I need about two days to recover. My body feels as heavy as lead."

Mulder said. "You've done a lot for us."

Skinner patted Mulder on the shoulder. "Wake me at 3 am. We'll head out then," he said, heading for the spare room.

"It's weird being back here, isn't it?", Mulder said, looking around. "It looks almost like it did when we lived here."

"Yeah, it does," she sighed. "But there was so much pain in this house," she sighed.

Mulder reached out and engulfed her small hand in his. "Our son is here with us this time, Scully. And then we have this little one too."

Scully rubbed her daughter's sleeping back. "I thought we were cursed back then."

Mulder cocked his head to the side. "Why did you think that?"

She chewed on her bottom lip. "We were on the run. Had been for several months. We had lost our son and the world seemed like it was falling apart. I was working at a rundown dive in town, pretending to be a dumb blonde as men pinched my ass on a daily basis."

She could see Mulder's eyes widen. "You never told me that, Scully."

She sighed heavily, as she cleaned up the paper mess from their quick meal. "It was hard enough for me to not pull a gun on them myself, let alone to tell you and have you blow our cover. And then I would come home and we'd fight and I was just in a bad way during that time. I was moody, you were moody. You would threaten to send me back to D.C. nearly on a daily basis. We broke up so many times," she sighed. "It's like that pain is in the walls of this place. It's overwhelming."

Mulder stood up and kissed the top of Scully's head. "We made it, Scully. It hasn't been easy. We broke up for a few years, right before this little one came along. But the love has always been there. The love WILL always be there. And our two children are proof of that."

She grasped his hand in hers and stood on her tiptoes, planting a firm kiss on Mulder's lips. "I love you."

"I love you," Mulder added.

"Come on, let's put the past behind us and lets go to bed. We have to get up early."

Scully held Mulder's hand as he pulled her into their old bedroom. He closed the door and laid their daughter on the bed. "One last night here."

"To think we used to live here," she yawned. "But, I guess we couldn't have much back then because we were on the run."

Mulder glanced at Zoe asleep on the bed. "No, we couldn't. It's modest but it was the perfect hideaway place...well, until we were spotted."

Mulder could feel Scully's body pressed against his on the bed and he quickly fell asleep. Scully sighed as she closed her eyes, feeling the heaviness of her eyelids as she fell into a deep sleep.

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	15. Chapter 15

**Starting Over**

 **Part 15**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

Skinner placed a hand on William's shoulder. "We need to drive into town and ditch this car."

William opened his eyes and sat up on the sofa. "We just stole this one."

"That's exactly why we need to ditch it."

Mulder kissed Scully on the cheek as she changed the clothes of their sleeping daughter on the bed. Zoe whined as Scully moved her, slipping on her pants and shirt. Zoe wiped sleepily at her eyes before reaching for her father. "Hold on," he said. "One sec."

Zoe began to cry. Scully picked her up, kissing her soft cheeks as she sniffed and whined. "Daddy!", Zoe cried.

"Daddy's getting dressed," she soothed, as Zoe bucked in her arms.

Mulder slipped on his pants and shirt in the bathroom before relieving Scully of their daughter. "Shoo," Mulder said. "It's okay, Daddy's here."

Zoe sniffled as she laid her head on his shoulder. Scully grabbed their bags and they met Skinner in the living room.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go," Mulder said.

Scully and Skinner pulled out their guns as they all bound down the rickety steps in the dark. Mulder placed a reluctant and extremely sleepy Zoe in the minivan. Zoe climbed into Scully's lap and cuddled against her mother's shoulders as Scully held her tightly. William slid into the seat next to her and he laid his head on Scully's other shoulder. Scully closed her eyes, sighing in contentment. William glanced up, noticing the tears running down her cheek. "You okay?"

"I'm more than okay," she answered.

Understanding, William laid his head back down, relaxing his eyes. Mulder glanced back at Scully, his smile matching hers. He started the engine and drove away towards the city.

The drive to town took only a few minutes without a soul on the road in the early morning hours. They scanned the streets for cars they could possibly steal and they made their way to the parking lot of an apartment building. They scoped out the area looking for cameras. They spotted two overseeing the cars and kept driving. It was nearing four in the morning and people were already hitting the roads. Finally, William spotted an old work van with good bones in front of a paper warehouse. It was obvious that it was used for transporting reams of paper. William stepped out and walked around the van. He touched the metal locks, and the back doors flew open. It was completely empty. He waved to them, and they left the minivan and raced to the van. Mulder helped Scully in and passed her a sleeping Zoe. Scully looked at the hard metal of the bare floor. "She can't stay here on this, Mulder."

"I've got an idea," Mulder said, turning to look at his son.

Skinner climbed into the passenger seat and William slipped into the back of the van, slamming the doors shut. Mulder took off, heading back downtown. He carefully turned corners, noticing that Scully with Zoe in her lap and William were sliding around the metal floor in the back. He spotted what he had come for. "Let's head in the back."

They drove into a parking lot and Mulder steered them to the back of the store. Mulder noticed another camera. "Will, son, I need your help."

William spotted the camera. He closed his eyes and the camera exploded, falling to the ground. William opened his hand and the backdoors of the building opened. Mulder turned towards William and Skinner. "Let's grab whatever fits in the back here."

They entered the dark building, walking past stacks of mattresses. Mulder spotted what he wanted and they quickly grabbed a few twin beds and tossed them onto the floor of the van. They tore off the plastic covering and Scully laid Zoe down on the soft bed with Zoe next to her. William slammed the vans door and Mulder pulled off, heading for the highway. Mulder glanced in the rearview mirror, noticing that all three of them were asleep in the back before they had even left the small town. Mulder entered the highway, heading west. It was going to be a long drive ahead of them.

Early morning turned into night as they drove on through Iowa into South Dakota, stopping only to refuel, for food through the drive thru and bathroom breaks. Zoe was becoming cranky sleeping more hours than she was used too. Scully tried to soothe her but Zoe was having none of it. William too tried to make her laugh but she was growing more frustrated. Finally, they decided to stop in at a midsized South Dakota hotel for the night. William, using one of his disguises, checked into two rooms with connected doors. Skinner and William were bunking together in separate beds and Mulder, Scully and Zoe were in one room.

The minute Mulder closed the door behind him, he could tell that Scully was needing him. She looked exhausted as she placed a sleeping Zoe in the large Queen sized bed. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He could feel the sigh escape her lips as she turned and wrapped her arms around him, needing to feel the warmth of him. He was rubbing circles on her back and kissing the top of her head. "It's okay, Scully. We're going to be okay."

She shook her head. "I've been thinking..."

"Yeah?"

"What if we never see him again," she said, searching his eyes. "What if he goes to Alaska and loses touch with us. Or CGB sends more hybrids. What if we're going through all this and he still has no peace of mind."

Mulder gripped her shoulders. "That's not going to happen."

"How are we going to go back home, Mulder? Zoe was crying throughout the day because we lost Mrs. Tolbert."

Mulder held her close, feeling her lean into him. He kissed along Scully's hairline, noticing the white and grey strands intermixed with the red. "That was the doll I gave you when you were pregnant with William," he said, sadly. "From my childhood."

"And our daughter loved her and we left it," she sighed. "I'm sorry. I know that doll meant the world to you."

Mulder smiled. "I'm just sorry we left it. It was Samantha's," he said, feeling a lump in his throat. "The most important thing is that both of our kids used it. That's all that matters."

Scully wrapped her arms around Mulder's waist, her head resting against his chest. He rubbed his hands up and down her back. "This all has taken a toll on you, hasn't it?"

She nodded her head against him. "Come on," he said, glancing at their daughter, fast asleep beneath the covers. Mulder looked into Scully's eyes and then pulled her into the bathroom. "We need to be alone."

Mulder shut the bathroom door. Scully spotted the tub and then turned to see Mulder stripping out of his clothes. Scully began to divest herself of her own clothes. Mulder kicked the grimy garments to the side and walked over to the tub. He turned on the water, and tested the temperature with his fingers. He then poured some of the hotels liquid soap and watched as it turned to bubbles. He stepped in and them gripped Scully's waist as she settled down into his lap. Scully closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of Mulder's masculine body surround her. She sighed contently as the warm bath calmed her sense. She rubbed her hands along his long legs and thighs.

Mulder's hands massaged the silkiness of Scully's hips. She was so small and yet she was the strongest person he knew. Cancer and numerous traumas had defined her life and yet there she was, in his arms again. His hand traveled along the faint C-Section lines on her stomach. He loved those lines. They were reminders to him that Scully gave him one of the best gifts of his life, his daughter. Scully had given birth to William naturally and had no scars from his birth. But her C-section scars reminded him that Scully was a mother of three. One child she had never given birth too, an experiment that ended in the death of her three year old daughter, Emily. One child she had given birth too under threat as he searched for her and one child just four years ago that they shared together. Even at their age, Zoe was truly the first child they were experiencing Parenthood with.

Mulder's hands traveled over her body, cupping her smooth and taut breasts and massaging the kinks out of her neck and shoulders. She was tired and nonresistant to his ministrations. Mulder placed feather soft kisses along her jawline, as he splashed the warm water over her delicate skin. He could feel her relax in his arms. He was not surprised when her head lulled to the side of his shoulder. "Scully," he said, sweetly in her ear.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Come on," he said, pulling her forward. She stood up in the bath and waited as Mulder stepped out from behind her. He placed a towel on the floor for their feet and then lifted her up out of the tub onto the towel.

Mulder knew from the look in Scully's eyes that she was now exhausted. He grabbed a soft hotel towel and begin to dry her off as she stood there motionless. He layered her mouth with kisses, before wrapping her head and body with a towel. "Get dressed, honey and go lay down. I'm right behind you."

Scully focused her eyes enough to reach on her tiptoes and kiss him sweetly on the lips. He watched as she retreated back to the bed. She quickly threw on some clothes and then buried herself deep under the covers. Mulder cleaned up the mess in the bathroom and dressed quickly in a pair of sweats. He slid into the bed with an already sleep Scully who was curled up to Zoe. He closed his eyes and it all went dark.

Mulder's eyes fluttered open and he noticed that Scully's head was resting in the crook of his neck as she lay half on his side. He turned his gaze to their daughter who was staring directly at him. "Zoe?", he asked.

"Daddy, where's Mrs. Tolbert?", she said, looking worried.

"Mrs. Tolbert moved to Illinois, to our old house. The one we just left."

Zoe shook her head. "No, she wanted to live with me."

"But, she told me she wanted to live in our old house. She wanted to stay there and start a new life. You want that for her, don't you?"

Zoe sighed. Mulder pushed her red curls around her hairline and pinched her cheeks which made him smile. Zoe was contemplating his statement, which reminded him of Scully, so much. When she had thought the issue over thoroughly, she turned back to her father. "Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetness."

"Will Mrs. Tolbert sleep in the room we slept in?"

"Yes, that's exactly where she'll sleep."

He watched as Zoe contemplated her next question.

"Daddy, I'm hungry now."

Mulder glanced down and noticed that Scully was fully awake and listening to them. "Scully, we need to get some food."

"We get a free continental breakfast," she said, sleepily. "Why don't you bring us something back and I'll give Zoe a long overdue bath."

Zoe's eyes grew wide. Scully smiled as she looked at their daughter. "Okay, let me knock and see if Skinner and William want to go with me. More hands to help me with."

Scully sat up. "Bagel and cream cheese for me, Mulder and some coffee, please."

"And for the little Miss?", Mulder said.

Zoe sat by her mother's side in the bed. She looked up at her father. "Cereal, Daddy. Please."

Mulder looked at Scully to confirm it. "Cereal?"

"She'll be hungry right after she eats it. Make it oatmeal, Mulder. And bring some yogurt for us too."

Mulder bent down and kissed both his girls before tapping on the connecting door. "Hey, are you up? You dressed?"

"Hey, yeah," they heard Williams voice. "Come in."

Mulder cracked the door open. "Hey, I need a few hands. Continental Breakfast awaits."

"I could eat," William said, entering their bedroom. He spotted his mother and sister and came over and kissed his mother on the cheek, much to her surprise and delight. William messed through Zoe's red locks and laughed when she fumed.

"BROTHER!", Zoe fumed, tapping her foot on the floor as she glared at him.

William just chuckled as they waited for Skinner. Skinner nodded towards Scully and Zoe. "Morning."

"Morning, sir," Scully answered.

"Let's get some food to fuel up before we head back out," Mulder said, kissing both Scully and Zoe on the cheek. ""We'll be right back."

"And this little girl will be nice and clean by then."

Zoe watched as they closed the door back behind them. Zoe raced towards the bathroom. "Mommy, can I have a bubble bath?"

Scully smiled. "Of course."

Zoe watched as Scully cleaned the tub and searched for additional towels. They had used up most of the towels the night before. She turned on the water, filling it and added a few drops of liquid soap to the water. Zoe was like her mother, and she absolutely adored bubble baths. She'd often drag every floatable toy she could find into the tub and would spend an hour splashing and making a mess until she was reluctantly pulled out.

"You can't spend your usual time in here," Scully said, stripping her daughter out of her clothes. She placed her into the bath to Zoe's delight. She splashed as her mother soaped up a wash cloth and scrubbed Zoe's entire body. She washed and rinsed her hair with hotel shampoo. Zoe was blowing soap bubbles and attempting to slap the water with her hands, when Scully scooped her out and placed her on a towel. "Mommy, I wasn't finished."

"I know, sweetie. But, Daddy and Brother will be back in a few minutes with our breakfast. And then we have to go."

Scully watched as Zoe crossed her arms in front of her and pouted. She smiled as she looked at her. "You know, now I see why your Daddy fell in love with me."

"Why?"

"Because if I looked as adorable as you do right now, he had no choice," she smirked.

Zoe grinned as Scully wrapped her in a towel and placed her on her hip, walking her into the bedroom. Scully dressed her quickly. She heard the door open behind her but she was busy slipping her shoes on. "Mulder, I think after we eat, we need to quickly get back on the road."

"Going so soon?"

Scully recognized the voice. She snatched Zoe up and retreated to the corner of the room. Zoe began to scream loudly. "NOOOOOOOOO. NOOOOOOOOOO."

Scully stepped in front of her daughter, shielding Zoe with her own body, as she stared at the man she despised. Scully could feel her heart beating faster. She reached behind her for her gun but dropped her hand to the side. He smirked as he smoked his cigarette and then sat down at the end of the bed, facing her. Scully cursed inwardly. She knew Mulder had placed their guns in the hotel safe but she had been too exhausted to know where that was. Scully could hear Zoe screaming behind her and her heart dropped. Zoe peered at the man and began cry. "That's him. The Mean Man!"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?", Scully screamed. "HOW DID YOU FIND US?"

"I have my ways," CGB puffed.

Scully glanced down at her daughter and CGB chuckled. "No. There isn't any more implants. That was certainly clever,. You figured out that Mulder had implants as well," he said, puffing on his cigarettes. "If you're wondering how I ended up in here, worry no more. I have a whole team dedicated to surveillances. I see that it paid off," he puffed. "I've lost a lot of men trying to capture the boy. Five years of research and testing worth of men," he sneered. "I've lost a lot," he said, staring at Scully, who had picked up her daughter and was trying to comfort her.

William stood still as Mulder piled packaged muffins and cocoa packets in his arms in the hotel lobby. The hotel staff frowned as they watched them toss the hotel offerings meant for all of the hotel guests. Mulder smiled warmly, winking at the staff as he continued to fill up his sons arms.

Skinner held two burning cups of coffee in his hands and he cleared his throat. "Mulder, do you really think we need that much?"

Suddenly, William grew pale. Mulder looked at him. "What is it?"

William tossed the food down on the ground and raced up the stairs. "Where's he going?", Skinner asked.

"I don't know, but he's heading for the rooms," Mulder said, racing behind him. Skinner tossed the coffee onto the floor and followed.

"That's the bad man," Zoe screamed, to her mother. "From my dreams..."

CGB stared at the child. "She is beautiful," he said, reaching out his arms. "Can't a grandfather see his granddaughter?"

"Never, you son of a bitch!", Scully hissed.

CGB turned his attention to the crying child. "Come to me. I'm your grandfather."

"Nooooo," Zoe cried "Noooo."

Scully turned Zoe's head away from him. "It's okay, Zoe. It's okay. Daddy will be back in a minute."

"And my boy? My other son? William?" CGB said. "How is he?"

"He's not your son," Scully snarled. "You lied. He's Mulder's son."

CGB chuckled. "I never said he wasn't Mulder's son. But, I did create William. I inserted an implant into your neck that allowed you to ovulate." He looked at Zoe. "Your welcome."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT!"

"Are you afraid?", he puffed. "I know he's here," he smirked. "I'm working on a way to neutralize his abilities," he said. "So that we are finally able to catch him. It's in the works, and we'll soon succeed," CGB said, standing up and puffing on his cigarette. He was inches away from Scully.

"MOMMY!", Zoe screamed hysterically. "MOMMY!"

He smirked as he stared at them both. "I won't be dying any time soon so if that's what your wishing. I'll live long enough to see my plans succeed," he said. "No matter where you hide him, I will find him."

Scully could hear the wails of her daughter in her arms as Zoe clung to her, sniffing as she clung at her mother for comfort.

CGB stood up suddenly turning to face the door. William opened his hands sending CGB crashing against the wall and dresser, sending wood pieces flying in the air. Scully covered Zoe's face. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!", William yelled.

CGB stood up and smirked. "You can't kill me," he said. "No one can kill me."

"I WILL kill you", he said, walking towards CGB. Several men in black suits raced in from William and Skinner's room, holding guns to William's head. CGB pulled out a pack of cigarettes and puffed hard on the cancer stick. Mulder and Skinner raced through the doorway but were surrounded by the hybrids, pointing guns point-blank to the side of their heads. Another man walked in pointing a gun at Scully. She shielded Zoe the best she could.

"Like I said," CGB stated. "You can't kill me. I've made sure of that," he puffed. "You think I'd come here if you could?"

William closed his eyes, tapping into the minds of the non human entities that were pointing guns at his family. He turned his attention to CGB and gasped as he opened his eyes, staring at the Old Man. "You aren't the real Old Man. You're a CLONE."

CGB smirked. "Like I said, you can't kill me. You'd have to find the REAL me."

He stepped up to William and puffed cigarette smoke in his face. "Surrender to me and I'll spare your family."

William stared at Scully and Zoe. He raised his hands up in defeat.

Zoe shook her head. "NO!", she screamed.

William closed his eyes and the men dropped to the ground with their necks broken. William turned his gaze towards CGB. He dropped to the floor as his guts and brain liquified, seeping into the carpet.

Scully hugged her daughter to her chest tightly as Zoe cried. Scully kissed away tears, trying to calm her. Mulder wrapped them in all in his arms. "It's okay," Mulder cooed. "You're okay." Skinner stepped over the bodies of the henchmen and leaned over CGB. "So, this isn't the real CGB?"

"No," Mulder answered.

"He's a clone. An Alien Human Hybrid. The newest model," William added.

"Like the clones he used of Samantha. Except without the green goo. The real CGB is still out there somewhere."

Zoe reached for her father and Mulder held her, trying to quiet a panicked four year old. Zoe looked towards William. "It was the man from my dreams..."

William grabbed his sister out of their father's hand. He held her, calming her. "See, I told you I'd protect you."

Zoe sniffled as she clung to him. Mulder searched Scully's eyes. "Scully?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

Mulder pulled Scully into his arms, feeling the slight tremor in her body only detectable by him. "What did he say?"

"He said no matter where we stash him, he'll eventually find him."

"That son of a bitch should've died a long time ago," Skinner growled. "How do we defeat him if he sends clones?"

"That's a question for the future," William answered.

"He said, he can't die," she said, searching Mulder's eyes. "And he told me what we suspected. That he had inserted an implant that helped me ovulate, which resulted in both of our kids."

Mulder kissed the top of her head and sighed. "He's not after Zoe too, is he?"

"I don't know," she said, staring at their children. "I don't think so."

Mulder shook his head. "I shouldn't have left you alone."

"Mulder, it's not your fault."

William placed his hand on Zoe's forehead and quickly calmed her. He could feel the tension release from her small shoulders.

"How did he find us?"

"Surveillances. He has a team searching for us," she said. "We need to avoid any more cameras."

Mulder turned to see Zoe clinging to her brother. "I calmed her down."

"Let's get out of here," William added.

"We need to swap vehicles again."

Mulder wrapped Scully in his arms. They didn't have to say anything. He could read it in her eyes. She held him tightly and he kissed her forehead. He let her go and walked over to the hotels mini bar. He opened the cabinet door and unlocked the hotel safe, retrieving their guns."Come on, let's go."

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	16. Chapter 16

**Starting Over**

 **Part 16**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

Mulder could tell from the look in Scully's eyes and the way that she rigidly held his hand that she was frightened. No one else knew her the way he did. Scully was tough as nails but she had softened since the birth of their children, even more so since their daughter as a fifty nine year old woman. Since raising Zoe, she'd embraced life in a way he had never knew was even possible at one time. Mulder knew that running at their ages with their two children was wearing her down. She had been unnerved with CGB's visit. He watched as she manically packed their bags to leave. He touched her shoulder, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arm around her. They left the rooms and Mulder walked with Scully pressed against his side as they walked down the hall of the hotel. Skinner was walking in back of them, watching their backs as William walked in front of them carrying Zoe in his arms. They rushed to the Paper Van in the parking lot and quickly drove off, searching for their next vehicle.

"It would be good to get another RV," Skinner mentioned as he drove. "It's the most comfortable vehicle for us all. We've got three more states until the coast."

"Then that's what we'll get. We need to ditch this van but not anywhere near here. Look to see if we're being followed, Skinner."

"We aren't so far," Skinner added. "I wouldn't be surprised if they placed a tracker underneath this truck though."

Mulder pressed his lips to Scully's forehead. He was laying on the mattresses in the back of the Paper Van with Scully wrapped around him, her head resting on his chest. She hadn't spoken since they had left the room. Zoe had decided she wanted to sit in the front between Skinner and William so she could see the sights. William chuckled as he teased her, watching as her eyebrow raised and she pouted. He watched as Zoe shrieked in delight as he pointed out various animals on the sides of the road as they continued on until Zoe's eyes drooped until they closed and she laid her head on his lap.

Mulder kissed Scully on the cheek and whispered in her ear. "It's going to be okay, honey. I'm just so sorry I left you and Zoe there without access to the guns."

"I'm fine, Mulder," she whispered in response. "This is our lives now. I'm fine. I handled it before and I can handle it now."

"I know this is our life now, but we never had our two kids with us on the run before. I think that makes a huge difference."

"I know that," Scully said. "I just want him safe, that's all. I want them both safe."

Scully listened to Mulder's soothing voice as he spoke as she pulled him closer, needing to hear his voice to calm her. He could feel her shaking ever so slightly against him. "Our kids are safe," he cooed. "They're safe and with us."

Skinner drove until they reached a truck stop. William found a small Old Style camper that was a quarter the size that they had used before. He was going to steal it from an elderly couple as they ate their breakfast in the Gas Station restaurant. William unlocked the door and they quickly abandoned the paper truck. Scully scoffed at the clutter and smell. "This is pretty rank," she said, covering her nose. "Smells like its never been cleaned."

William waved his hand and the license plate was replaced assuring that they could drive freely without being pulled over. He waved his hand again changing the color of the Camper as well. Skinner slid into the drivers seat and pulled off, driving down the highway. Within a few minutes, several police cars sped past them and Skinner turned towards William next to him in the passenger seat. "Well, that was smart."

"Thanks. It's not like you can't get spotted out here. It's all wide open land," William said, looking around the South Dakota landscape.

"Well, we're going to need to fill up on gas," Skinner said. "There's just a quarter tank."

It was nearly fifteen miles before they came to a sign indicating that there was gas ahead. William donned one of this disguises and paid for gas and snacks. Scully opened the fridge door and gagged. "We can't put anything in here. This entire place needs to be cleaned from top to bottom. I won't feel comfortable until it's clean."

William looked surprised. "You want me to do what I did at the house?"

"Whip and have it clean it in seconds? You bet," Mulder added.

William reached out his hands and the entire Camper was cleaned instantly. Scully smiled as she viewed the tiny space. "This is much, much better. I didn't think those people ever heard of soap."

Mulder scanned the camper. There was a tiny bedroom in the back with only one bed. Next to it was the bathroom that was meant for much shorter people and then there was the kitchenette with a plug in table top burner, a mini fridge and a tiny sink. "Talk about Tiny House Living," Mulder smirked.

"Whenever you complain that our house is too small, I'll remind you of this matchbox," Scully said.

Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure you will."

The drive through South Dakota into Montana took most of the day. They decided to stop at another RV park near Yellowstone for the night. Scully changed the sheets of the only bed and laid Zoe down. Scully like Zoe, was asleep the moment her head hit the mattress. Mulder sat up in the bed, listening to the sounds of the rain that beat against the metal box they were sleeping in. He could hear Skinner's soft snores from the sofa but he could also hear William wrestling around. The sliding door opened and William appeared.

"What is it son?"

William looked embarrassed. "Could we talk?"

"Yeah, of course," Mulder said, sliding over and making room on the bed. William sat on the edge and looked down at his feet. "What is it?", Mulder questioned.

"You ever get scared about the unknown?," William said. "You ever fear your future?"

Mulder smiled. "Yes. And it's okay to be scared."

"For five years, I've run from everything. By chance, I run into you both at the convention and my whole life changes again", William said.

"What scares you?"

William sighed. "The last time I lived a normal life, I was a kid," he said. "I don't know what it's like to be normal. For the past five years, I turned eighteen, then twenty twenty two, all without a normal moment . I've spent all this time under bridges, in shelters, in rundown hotels. I don't really know..."

"How to be an adult?", Mulder said, placing a hand on his sons shoulder. "Adults don't know how to be adults. That's the honest truth."

"But," William said, glancing down at his hands. "We're talking about Alaska."

"Are you scared you aren't tough enough for Alaska?"

William shrugged his shoulders. Mulder smiled. "From what I've seen, no one is tougher than you."

William nodded. "Thanks." he said, turning to look at Scully and Zoe as they slept. "You know I'm gonna miss this. And I'm going to miss having a dad to talk too."

Mulder reached out and touched his son's shoulder. "I wish we had more time together as father and son."

"Yeah, me too."

Mulder cleared his throat. "Did you...Were you close with your adoptive father?"

William bit his lower lip. "Yes and no. When I was younger, he was like my best friend. We were close. He took me to baseball games..."

William could see the look in Mulder's eyes. "I don't need to talk about this if you don't want too."

"No. No," Mulder said. "It's just what I always wanted to do with you."

"I know," William said. "You both have fantasies of what it would be like to raise me."

"Yeah," Mulder said. "Go on, continue. Continue with your story."

Reluctantly, William kept going. "When my powers started showing even more, my adopted dad pulled back from me. They both did. As a teenager, I wasn't home that often, so you know."

"A parent always wants the best for their kid and to not have even remotely the same childhood they had. I wasn't close with my father either."

William looked alarmed. "The Old Man?"

"No, the one that raised me, Bill Mulder. After my sister disappeared, my parents stopped caring. My father, especially, blamed me for her disappearance and so I didn't have a bond with either of my parents growing up."

"It was because they were supposed to take you instead of Samantha."

Mulder looked surprised. "Yeah. Your mom and I found that out when we were rummaging through records."

"They each chose a family member to sacrifice to the Alien's for experiments," William said. "It was their choice, not yours. You didn't deserve that."

"Yeah well...", Mulder said. "I want our relationship to be different."

"It already is," William said.

""It is," Mulder added. "And you're about to go on a journey. A fresh new start in life."

"As Charles William Soona," William spoke.

Mulder added "Homeowner. Maybe even get married one day."

Scully sat up suddenly, looking at them both, her messy hair flailing all over her face. "Did you mention, grandkids?," she asked.

William's eyes enlarged. "MOM!"

Scully smiled as she looked at him. "One or two...or fifty," she smiled. "No pressure."

"No pressure at all," Mulder chuckled. "Twenty five with red hair and twenty five with dark hair."

They watched as William's face and ears reddened.

Mulder looked at Scully. "Can you believe it, Scully. One day, we'll be grandparents. Can you imagine?"

Scully sighed. "I always knew I would grow old with you, Mulder," she said, scooting across the bed next to him. "And I can imagine being covered in grandkids. Lots of them."

William shook his head. "Seriously?"

Scully laughed. "Your dad and I will tell stories about our adventures in the X-Files. They'll think we're just making it all up."

"By then, the Aliens will be flying around in the open," Mulder smiled, enjoying the way that William squirmed.

"And then we'll have great grandchildren," Scully smiled.

"About a hundred of them," Mulder laughed. "All because you and your sister gave us grandkids."

William shook his head, smiling shyly as his parents teased him. "There's no way..."

"And then there's great-great grandchildren," Scully giggled.

William shook his head. "You're funny."

Mulder smiled as he looked into Scully's eyes. "It's going to be great."

Scully smiled back as she searched Mulder's eyes. She could tell that he was envisioning them in the future just as she was. She turned her gaze back at their son.

"Mommy?", Zoe said, waking up.

"Yes, sweetie."

Zoe shook her head as she crawled over to William. "Brother," Zoe said, "Are you and Debbie gonna have a baby?"

William stared down at his sister. "What?"

"Debbie," Zoe said, matter of factually.

William shook his head. "There's no Debbie."

Zoe nodded her head. "She's in Alaska."

Scully turned to look at Mulder. He reached out and patted William's back. "Well, looks like it might just work out in the end after all, huh?"

"Debbie?," William mouthed. "You're sure?"

Zoe stared at her brother and then her parents. "Are you going to marry her?"

"I guess I'll have to meet this Debbie," William added.

Mulder and Scully locked eyes with each other. "Looks like a mighty nice future, Scully."

The morning came and they headed on towards Washington State, crossing the state line late into the night. They pulled along the side of the road and camped out at a truck stop. Mulder found himself increasingly unable to sleep as they neared Seattle. He spent hours on end staring up at the ceiling as his two girls slept. He stood up, leaving them to sleep and walked into the living area of the tiny camper. He moved past Skinner who was sleeping uncomfortably on the sofa that doubled as the dining table in the old Camper and sat down next to William in the passenger seat. "Hey."

"Hey," William said. "Insomnia?"

"Haven't had it in years. But, I can't really sleep."

"Worried about him finding us?"

Mulder sat back in the seat. "I'm thinking about all kinds of things."

William turned to him. "You and Mom are worried that I'll forget all about you. And that you'll never know what happened to me."

Mulder sat staring out the windshield in the dark. "I have a lot of regrets," Mulder said. "My biggest regret was walking out that door leaving you and your mom vulnerable. I can't tell you how hard its been for me to live with the enormous guilt," he said, as tears formed in his eyes. "All these years, wondering what would life be like with you. There's times I wanted to put a bullet in my head after listening to your mom cry at night on your birthday or at Christmas. But, I was always such a coward."

William could feel the enormity of Mulder's pain. He listened as the words bubbled up from Mulder's lips. "Your mom and I had a few rocky years. I fell into a deep depression. Part of that was because we still couldn't find you. 2012 was supposed to be the End Date and it came and went and we still didn't know where you were."

"2012? I was eleven then."

"Yeah," Mulder said, sniffling. "That's when we fixed up your room, hoping to find you then. It didn't happen and I couldn't figure out why I had been so wrong. My depression caused a rip in our marriage for a few years. But no matter what, we've always loved each other and we've always loved you. And yeah, we're scared that now that we have you, we'll lose you all over again."

William stared into his father's eyes. "That won't happen. I promise you, that won't happen."

Mulder sighed. "It's hard. I'm not sure I can let you go this time. We've become a family. I'm not sure I can let you go."

William embraced his father in a hug. "You know, I'm going to have a hard time too. I don't know how I'll do it."

Mulder sighed heavily. "I'm sorry," he said, looking into William's eyes. "I'm so sorry that this is your life."

William could feel the weight of his words. "Can you just sit here with me," William said. "And talk?"

Mulder nodded his head. "Yeah. You know, that you'll never be Jackson Van De Kamp or William Mulder again."

"William Mulder?", William sighed. "Was that my name originally?"

"Well..." Mulder stated. "Your birth certificate said William Scully. Your mom and I were hiding my identity as your father then."

William looked surprised. "Why?"

Mulder sighed. "We were partners. We were afraid that it would affect us remaining partners if our bosses found out we were more than that."

"Even though, everyone already knew," Skinner piped in as he lay on the sofa. "I even asked you to your face if you were the father, Mulder, and you denied it."

Mulder bit his lip. "It was supposed to be a secret. Actually, it was Scully's idea. Obviously, it didn't work."

"Nope, didn't work at all," Skinner added.

"Well William, right after you were born, we stopped pretending. Everyone knew anyway."

Skinner sat up suddenly. "Hey, I never cashed in my bet from the Office Pool. Damn."

"I knew other people bet on our relationship. I didn't know you did."

"It was a running pool, of course I did," Skinner added.

"After the FBI fired me, your mom was still worried about everyone knowing."

"They fired you?", William gulped.

"Fired for your usual Mulder insubordination," Skinner added.

William looked amused. "His insubordination?"

Skinner stood up and walked to the front of the Camper. "Spooky Mulder here was legendary," he chuckled. "If Mulder was told not to do something, believe me, he was off doing it. He'd worry your poor mother to death pulling all kinds of stunts...jumping off trains, going into places he shouldn't. It's a wonder he's even here right now."

William smiled. "Mom saved you, didn't she?"

Mulder nodded. "Yeah. She was my rock. I trusted her with my life."

"You two were made for each other," Skinner piped in. "It was disgusting."

Mulder laughed. "Actually it's pure. It's the purest thing there is. My love for her and our kids."

Skinner sighed. "Yeah and that's why you owe about $750 dollars for the Office Pool."

Mulder looked at Skinner. "Who did win?"

"I don't know," Skinner added. "Whoever they are, they were the smartest person in the FBI."

William shook his head. "One day, I'd like to find out about you and Mom's lives in the XFiles. I'd like to know your story."

"You will," Mulder said. "But, the most important thing you need to know is that we loved each other from the beginning. It was love at first sight, even though it took almost seven years for us to admit it."

"Seven years? Jeez," William sighed. "That's a long time."

"But, we've been together for thirty years," Mulder smiled. "We've lived through hell and back but in the end, we have two beautiful children and that was worth everything."

Mulder continued. "You'll have that too one day. You'll find the woman that will love you unconditionally and maybe your sisters right, maybe she's waiting for you in Alaska. Someone you can share your secrets with."

"My true identity? My powers? The fact that the Old Man is trying to kill me?"

"All of that," Mulder said.

"But how?", William said in all seriousness. "How do you put someone you care about in danger?", he questioned. "I mean, being with me, would mean danger to any woman that wanted to be with me. Look at what happened to Caroline."

Mulder sighed. "Your mom was always in danger because of me. Had she not been with me, she would've had about six kids and married to some handsome doctor somewhere. But, she chose me instead. And we would not have traded our lives for anything. She knows all my secrets. And she chose to run with me, putting her own freedom in jeopardy. That person is out there for you."

"If you say so," William said, disbelieving. "I just don't know how I can have a relationship with anyone when one day, the Old Man will come after me."

Mulder chewed on the bottom of his lip. "What I want for you is to live your life. This is what this is all about. For you to not live in fear. I wasted too many years doing that. You go to Alaska and live your life. The future will take care of itself."

Skinner nodded. "You will find a way to defeat CGB. And one day this will all be over."

"I love your mother more than the air I breath, and she feels the same way. We have you two kids and though this is not what we would have wanted for your lives, we would not have found each other had it not turned out this way. That's worth everything."

William blew out the air in his lungs as Mulder continued.

"Out there is a woman that will love you for you. Who you can confide in. And you heard your mother, she wants grandkids."

William chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, no pressure she said."

"But, major pressure," Mulder laughed. "You will be happy, William. You will be. You'll reinvent yourself. This is a fresh start. And when you do find that someone, it'll be the two of you against it all, just like me and your mom."

"I hope your right."

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	17. Chapter 17

**Starting Over**

 **Part 17**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Timeline: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

Mulder could hear Scully's sniffles as she cried in the bathroom away from everyone else. She washed her face and walk back out but the pain was in her eyes. Mulder noticed that Zoe was sullen as well, feeding off of her mother's moods. Scully slid into the U shaped sofa connected to a wobbly table bolted into the floor. Mulder placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of her. "When was the last time you ate something, Scully? I don't remember you eating much yesterday, not since before the hotel and..."

"I ate," she said, picking at her plate.

"Scully," Mulder said, in a serious tone. "Don't start!."

Scully turned to see William looking at her from the front seat. "He doesn't need me to cry right now," she said, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

William stood up and slid into the sofa and reached out his hand to his mother. She stared at his hand before clasping it tightly. William sighed. "Why don't you say to me what you're thinking," he said.

Scully looked into her sons dark eyes and pulled him around the table to sit next to her. She licked her lips. "I found out I was pregnant with you the day your father was abducted. When I realized he could be taken, I fainted and was rushed to the hospital. Skinner came to tell me he was gone. I knew I had to find him for you. I was in the hospital for hours because I just wouldn't believe that I was pregnant. It took numerous tests and an ultrasound before they even convinced me that I was."

William scrunched up his brow. "Why?"

"Because I had been told that I was barren. Your dad had found one of my ovum being stored in a government warehouse. He and I tried IVF with my egg but it didn't take."

Mulder turned to see Skinner staring back at them from the rearview mirror as he drove towards Seattle.

"You were created naturally," she said. "Well, with the help of that implant as we now know. We have no clue but looking back, I had signs," Scully said, looking at Mulder. "Fainting and dizziness but there was no way we could've guessed..."

"No, never," Mulder said. "Especially since the IVF was nearly a year before."

"So I was laying in my hospital bed, thinking about how your father was missing and I became determined that I would find him so I could tell him that we'd had a miracle," she said, as she smoothed her hands over William's thick long hair. "Knowing I was pregnant with you kept me going, especially after your father was found dead. You were the reason I stayed alive. Because losing your father was almost too much for me."

Mulder looked surprised.

"Your grandmother and I buried him in the ground and a few months later, Skinner dug him up and he was breathing."

William could see flashes in his mind of a tall dark haired man shedding his skin in the shower. He shuttered. "He would've ended up like Billy Miles."

"Yeah," Mulder nodded. "Had it not been for Skinner and your mom."

William turned back to Scully, as she nervously gripped the ends of his jacket. "You are our hope. Our future. A miracle fulfilled. I've carried you in my heart since the moment they told me. YOU, made me a mother," she said, wiping her eyes. "That's all I ever wanted. You made me a mother with the man that I loved more than anything. I would look into your little eyes and dream of explaining to you how a chance encounter turned into destiny. I had all intentions of raising you but as you now know, that didn't work out. All I want is for you to be happy and for you to be loved. And I'll carry the guilt I have for giving you up with me for the rest of my life. My reasons were good, but I can never stop feeling like I failed you."

Mulder placed a hand on Scully's shoulder. She sighed heavily and continued. "You've been in my heart all these years. I don't want to lose you again."

"Your forgetting something," William said. "I can send messages to you through your dreams. We've done it before, you and me...That's how we'll communicate. You'll know if I'm happy or in danger. You'll know."

William could see the relief in Scully's shoulders. "I love you," she said. "If you're ever scared or lonely, know that we love you so much."

William held both of his parents hands. "Thanks for loving me, even if I didn't know it."

"We've always loved you," Scully stated. "More than you could ever know."

"Thank You," he said, shyly.

Zoe walked up to them. She frowned and stumped her foot. "Hey, what about me?"

William chuckled. "Thank You Zoe for always loving me too."

"You're welcome," she huffed.

Mulder grinned. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Zoe Katherine Mulder."

Zoe watched as the adults chuckled. She turned and walked off.

Skinner noticed that the cars were starting to slow ahead of them on the I-90 from Spokane, Washington heading for Seattle. There were State Police cars with flashing red and blue lights stopping cars in both lanes. "Hey, something's up."

William watched as Scully's face drained of color. Mulder glanced at Scully before walking up to the front and staring out the window. He could see the officers forcing everyone into a single lane. "There's no way he knows where we are now. There's just no way."

"We shall see," Skinner said.

Scully picked up Zoe. She motioned for William to follow her. They retreated to the back room, closing the sliding door behind them. Scully placed Zoe on the bed and placed her finger up to her mouth. "Sssh."

Zoe mimicked her. "Sssh."

William sat on the edge of the bed facing the door. He could feel his mother's anxiety and fears behind him but he was also focused on his father's emotions.

Skinner slowly moved along with the traffic. "What's the plan?", Mulder asked.

"With three State Troopers parked on the side of the road?", Skinner asked. "I have no idea."

Mulder was anxious. They were two cars away from the blockade and there was nothing but trees and grass on the side of the road. They could easily be ambushed. Mulder glanced back at the bedroom door where his family was. He pulled out his gun and placed it to the side of his leg, ready to defend them if need be. Skinner patted his gun in the chest area of his jacket and then pulled up in the line. Skinner slowly edged up to the Policeline and rolled down his window. He smiled at the officer. "What's going on here?"

"Sorry folks, there's a major spill up the highway. Just stay in the right lane until you move past the barriers."

"No problem," Skinner answered.

The officer waved them on. ""Whew!", Skinner sighed in relief. "I wasn't expecting that."

"I'm glad that's all it was," Mulder said.

Over the hill, they could see an overturned Semi Truck leaking a liquid into the grasslands.

"It's not like there was any place for us to run," Skinner said.

Mulder stood up and made his way to the back door. He opened the door and William sighed. "There would not have been any place for us to go," William added. "That could've been bad. I guess we're all so jumpy we can't even trust normal things without expecting it to be an ambush by the Syndicate."

"Yeah, we need to calm down a little bit."

Mulder glanced over to Scully who was shielding Zoe behind her. He knew she was armed and ready. He watched as Scully relaxed her shoulders and skillfully removed the bullets from the gun, placing them in separate drawers in the nightstand away from Zoe. Scully stood up and wrapped her arms around Mulder's torso. He kissed the top of her head. "We're fine. We have just four hours to go. We're alright."

Skinner continued on driving until they were just miles outside of Seattle. This was the last stop for them as they pulled into another RV park. This was the most crucial part of their journey, getting William to Alaska without being intercepted. They had been fortunate though that through the last few states, they hadn't been seen on camera. William had been the only one to venture outside of the camper, having changed identities before filling up on gas and buying necessities at gas stations. They were sure that they had lost CGB.

Scully busied herself washing the dishes and cleaning out the cabinets even though William had made everything clean. Mulder placed a hand on Scully's shoulder. "What?", she said, agitated.

"You're doing it again."

"What's that?"

"Cleaning to cover up your feelings. Go sit with him. Spend time with him, Scully. Because we won't be seeing our son for a long time after this."

Scully looked into Mulder's eyes. "How do we handle it this time, Mulder?", she asked. "How do we get through it this time?"

"It's different than before," he stated. "Like he told you, Scully, he'll send you messages. You'll know that he's okay."

He held her to his side, kissing her cheek. "Come on, Scully, lets enjoy our kids together."

William could feel the immense pain that his mother was feeling and it was overwhelming. "I think I need some air," he said, pushing the side door open.

They watched as he stepped outside. William gulped the fresh air as he stepped onto the grounds. He surveilled the area, noticing a few people that were packing up their vehicles ready to get back onto the road. He was realizing that he was at the end of the journey together with his family and he was feeling overwhelmed. For a short time, he belonged with his biological family. He'd grown to understand and care about them. Now he had to go back to being alone for the rest of his trip to a new home in Alaska with the new identity of Charles William Soona.

William's heart felt heavy. He could feel himself on the brink of tears. The door opened and Zoe raced out towards him. She picked up a rock and tossed it in the air. William smiled. "Hey, Zoe. I see some swings out in the distance. You wanna go swing?"

"No," she said, shaking her head.

Mulder stepped down out of the Camper, followed by Scully. "I saw a creek when we were pulling in. All of us could go walking down by the water."

"Could we go skip rocks?" Zoe asked.

"For you," William chuckled. "It's more like, dump rocks into the water."

Zoe jumped up and down excited. "Yes, Please!", she begged her parents.

Mulder winked at her. "Sure, let's go skip some rocks."

Mulder wrapped his arm around his sons shoulders as he held Scully's hand, walking along the worn down grass that formed a path through the trees to the creek as Zoe bounced around them. They could see a few families on either side of them fishing. William bent down, choosing the perfect stone from the gritty shore. He handed it to Zoe. "Remember, there's a certain way you skip stones."

Mulder stood back, watching as his two children giggled as Zoe took each rock that William handed her and tossed it into the lake. He grabbed his phone and snapped a few photos as Zoe squealed from the deep plopping sound each heavy rock made as it sunk to the bottom. William chuckled as he chased her in a circle. Finally, William gave up and watched as Zoe excitedly explored the shore of the waters. William grinned back at his parents "I'm going to miss this."

Mulder thought back to the moments he'd shared with his own sister. "Yes, you will. We all will."

Scully's laughter was mixed with tears as she watched William scare and then chase his little sister around. Mulder was capturing the moment on film and she couldn't tear herself away. She could feel pride as she watched her adult son lovingly play with his baby sister. "It was worth it all," Scully murmured. "Just for this moment alone, it was worth it all."

Mulder lifted Scully's chin and planted a kiss on her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said, as tears formed in her eyes. She smiled back at Mulder and watched as William tossed Zoe into the air. Zoe's laughter caused the other families on the shore to giggle as well. He placed her back on her feet and Zoe ran straight into a mud puddle.

"Well, of course," Scully said. "She is your daughter, Mulder. You always stepped into something or another yourself."

Mulder pulled Zoe out of the mud. "Little One, your mom is thrilled that you're covered in mud."

Zoe stared up at her father. "She is?", she said, innocently.

Mulder broke out into laughter. "No Zoe."

Scully frowned. Zoe was covered in mud from head to toe. "Mulder, you know what to do," she said, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, let's head back."

Mulder sighed. "We need something to eat anyway," he said, turning to William. "Let's go."

After quickly showering Zoe, Mulder dressed her and they returned to the kitchen area where Scully was waiting on them. "You look nice and clean," she said.

"Thanks Mommy," Zoe said, shyly. She looked to her brother.

William picked her up and placed her on his lap. "I like how the red in your dress matches the red in your hair."

"Thanks," Zoe responded. "Daddy said I looked like Mommy."

Scully smiled as she watched them. William nodded his head. "Well, he's right, you know."

Scully handed them each a plate with a sandwich and chips. Zoe snatched chips off William's plate as she sat on his lap. He smiled down at his little sister. "Brother, I haven't seen the bad man in my dreams in awhile."

William smiled warmly. "That's great, Zoe."

Skinner stood in the aisle eating the last of his sandwich. "You know, we need to talk shop." Skinner looked at William. "We need to find an internet cafe and figure out your route into Alaska."

Mulder stood up. "That's not necessary."

He retreated to the bedroom and came back with William's papers. "This has his entire route mapped out," he said, tossing it onto the table.

"There's two different flights. One from Seattle to Vancouver and then into Alaska. There's another one that's from Seattle straight to Alaska."

"Well, then we made the right decision in coming here," Skinner added.

William flipped through the deed to the home. "This says the house is located in Sunrise, Alaska. Population, twenty. Twenty people?"

Mulder searched the papers. "Three men and the rest are women."

William looked surprised. "This is remote."

"Extremely remote, which is the point," Mulder said. "If he follows you up there, they deserve whatever you do."

"That's extremely remote, Mulder," Scully chimed in. "Like bears in your kitchen remote."

He nodded. "The lowest temperature in Sunrise has gotten down to negative twenty four degrees," Mulder read from the papers. "You'll need a good solid coat and you'll have to get a truck with snow chains and drive to the next town over, which is Homer, to go grocery shopping or to look for work. This is the best choice for your protection."

William looked conflicted as he looked at the papers. "Isn't it dark for six months out of the year in Alaska, or something like that?"

Scully shrugged her shoulder. "There's two months of darkness in Alaska. So there's about five hours of sunlight. Then in the summer, there's very little night."

"The most important thing is you get to live your life without fear that CGB will come after you. It'll be a whole new life. You'll have to completely start over."

William looked at his parents. "No longer running..."

"A safe life," Scully added.

William nodded his head. "Alright. So, how do I do this though?"

Mulder retreated back to the bedroom, bringing along his bag. He opened it and slammed four large stacks of cash on the table.

"What did you do, rob a bank?", William questioned.

"No, but this is yours. I grabbed it out of the safe before we left home. This all belongs to you and we'll make sure you continue to get money. Our friends will help."

William looked at Scully and she smiled warmly.

"Your gonna fly from Seattle to Homer, Alaska and then you'll have to charter a plane to Sunrise. You'll have to pick up your key from this realtor right here and that's it, the place is yours. Everything else will be up to you. You'll be your own man from then on out. From here on out, you'll be known as Mr. Soona."

"Yeah, Jackson Van DeKamp...," William added.

"Will be gone."

William looked at his parents. "What will you do?"

Scully turned to Zoe. "She's been excited about Preschool."

Zoe sat up, her eyes wide. "I get to get a book bag and start school with my friends?"

Scully smiled. "Yes, sweetie."

"And ride the big bus?"

William shook his head. "She has no clue, does she? This is the beginning of the biggest pain of her life."

Mulder playfully popped William in the back of the neck. William turned back to Zoe. "School is fun, Zoe. You'll have a great time."

Zoe excitedly hopped up down. "Mommy, will I get to meet my teacher?"

Scully stared at her daughter, her blue eyes shining and her red hair flailing out around her shoulders. "You'll get to meet your new teacher and all your new friends."

Zoe clasped her hands together. "Yay!", she said, jumping up and down.

William smiled as he looked at his baby sister. Scully was watching him. He reached out his hand and squeezed her small digits. "I'll be okay. We're connected. And that's how we'll communicate."

"Okay," she said, she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Skinner stood up. "I don't know about all of you but I don't think I'm going back."

Both Mulder and Scully looked surprised. Skinner threw up his hands. "There's nothing left for me in Georgia. I'm not sure I want to return to D.C., at least, not yet."

Scully stepped towards Skinner. "The police will probably have questions for you. For all of us."

Skinner crossed his hands in front of him. "They'll question me about Caroline and James." he said. "I don't have a really good answer for all that."

"How do you explain the fact that you can now walk?", Mulder asked.

Skinner looked at William. "I'll tell them adrenaline. Fear. And that my paralysis was only temporary."

"Out of me and Mulder, you are the one in the most danger," Scully said. "What if they try to pin her death on you?"

Skinner locked his arms and frowned. "I've survived murder charges before."

"We'll work this all out," Mulder added.

"What about you two?", William asked.

Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," Mulder said, looking at Scully. "We could say we went on a family vacation. Visited the western states before we put her in school."

Scully nodded. "Yeah, we left a day or two before all of this started. That should work."

"Wrong," William said, as images flashed in his head. "Skinner, you left your surveillance equipment behind. CGB took the video tapes and replaced it with his own doctored version. It completely cuts me out of the videos," William said. "But, it still shows all of you. It shows Caroline being murdered by unknown men, and all of you running to the RV to escape. The good news is that, it shows you're innocent and that you were running for your lives."

"CGB is still protecting us for now," Mulder said. "Until he tries to destroy our lives again."

"Why would he do that?", Skinner asked.

Scully looked at Mulder. She could see the tightness in his jaw. "You don't think it's because of me, do you, Mulder? He tried to kill me AGAIN."

"He's had a thing for you for years," Mulder added. "He knew William would save you. This whole thing with your implant, Scully, was all an act. He won't actually kill you. That's not what he wants."

Skinner cleared his throat. "He did tell me, he saw the end with Scully by his side."

Scully placed her hand on Mulder's chest above his heart. "That's never going to happen," she said, searching his eyes. "He's always been jealous of you, Mulder. He wants whatever you have."

"And by doctoring the videos, he's protecting William," Skinner added. "He's trying to protect his investments."

"We'll all go to the police," Scully said. "Tell them that we were running. That we feared for our lives." Scully turned, looking at their son. "They're to never know you were there. Ever."

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	18. Chapter 18

**Starting Over**

 **Part 18**

 **by**

 **Trycee**

 **Time-Line: 2023, five years after Season 11**

 **Disclaimer: This is written for fun, not for profit**

 **Seattle, Washington.**

Scully stood over William's bag, carefully packing his belongings. She was surprised when a hand landed on her shoulder. She turned to see William. "You know you don't have to do this for me."

Scully engulfed him in her arms, hugging him tightly. "Yes, I do," she said.

William smiled as he held his mother. "If I don't go, I can't make those grandkids you want so badly."

Scully pulled back, smiling as she wiped at her tears."You have your father's sense of humor."

William smiled as he kissed his mother on the cheek. "I love you Mom."

Scully could feel her heart tighten. "I love you too."

He touched her shoulder and grabbed his bag, zipping it up. He followed Scully out of the bedroom and into the living area.

Zoe raced to her brother's side. William picked her up and watched as she wriggled in his arms. "Zoe, what is it?"

"Does this mean you won't be my brother any more?"

William looked at his parents. He sighed. "No. I'll always be your big brother. That will never ever change."

"No, Zoe," Mulder added. "He's your brother for life."

"I'll always be your brother, Zoe. We just won't see each other for a long time. Probably not until your as big as Mommy."

Zoe stared at her mother and then turned her soulful blue eyes to her brother. "What if I don't want you to go?"

"I don't want to go either," he said. "But, it's time for me to go. I just want you to remember that I love you."

Zoe wrapped her arms around William's neck. "I love you too," she said, kissing his cheek. "I'm gonna miss you, brother."

William's voice choked up. "I'm gonna miss you too," he said, holding her tightly.

Zoe jumped down and retrieved the remote, switching on the tv to her cartoons. Mulder walked up to him and patted his sons shoulder as he pulled a crying Scully to his side. Mulder slid his arms around her waist, slowly spinning her around to face him. Scully stared with watery eyes into Mulder's sorrowful eyes. She pressed her forehead into his chest, sobbing.

William wiped the tears from his eyes. "This is going to be hard."

Mulder grabbed both William and Scully into a hug. "It's just for a short while," Mulder gulped. "You have to take care of yourself."

William nodded. "I will."

Skinner patted William on the shoulder. He spun around and hugged Skinner. "Thanks for giving me my legs back."

William nodded his head. "Take care. You're gonna keep this Camper?"

Skinner looked around at the small vehicle meant for two. "I might. Might travel a little. Decide what I'll do next."

William shook Skinner's hand. "Stay safe," Skinner said.

"You too," William answered.

Skinner got behind the wheel of the Camper and started the engine, He entered the highway heading towards the Seattle airport. Skinner pulled into the parking lot of a coffee shop not far from Sea Tac Airport of Seattle. William grabbed his bags, and a brand new burner phone in his hands. "I'll order a coffee and then call an Uber to take me to the airport."

Skinner patted William's arm. "Dispose of it immediately after they pick you up."

William nodded his head. "I've got a five or six days journey ahead of me."

Scully stepped up to her son. "If I don't ever get to see you again," she said, with watery eyes. "Just know that I love you. That WE love you. We always have."

William wrapped his arms around his mother. Scully gulped down her tears as she held her eldest child. "I'm going to miss you, alright," she said.

Scully gripped him tightly, her own deep throated wails mingling with his. Mulder picked Zoe up as she began to cry. He soothed her by rubbing her back as he watched them with a heavy heart. William released his mother from his grip and then embraced his father as Scully grabbed Zoe out of his hands. Mulder hugged his son tightly. "I lost you so many times before," Mulder cried. "I don't want to let go of you now."

William nodded his head as he held his father. "We've grown so close."

"We have," Mulder said, pulling back to look in his eyes. "You know where we are now. If you need anything. Anything at all. You know how to contact your mom. Send her a message and we'll coming running."

William smiled. "I know that now."

William picked up Zoe who was crying hard. He listened to her whimpers. It was breaking his heart. "I'll always be your brother, Zoe. Always."

"But, your leaving...", she cried.

"Not forever," William said, soothingly. "I love you so much, Zoe. I'm so glad your my sister."

Zoe stared at her brother with her sky blue eyes and wrapped her small arms around his neck. "I love you too, Brother. And when I get as big as mommy, I'll see you again."

He choked slightly as he placed her on her feet. He watched as she walked away, heading for the tv. "I hope she has fun at preschool."

"She will," Mulder said.

"I hate that I'm gonna miss it," William said.

Mulder placed an arm around Scully's shoulders. Scully grasped the ends of Mulder's shirt, as she cried into his chest. William sighed. "I better get going."

Scully reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him back into their embrace. "It's simple," Scully said. "We love you."

William kissed Scully's cheek and gripped his father's shoulder. "Bye, mom. Bye dad."

Scully gasped as she closed her eyes briefly. William stood in place as he looked at his family. "It's okay. I'll be safe. And like dad said, if they come after me up there, they deserve what I do to them."

"You need to send me messages," Scully said. "I need to know you're okay."

"We both need to know and since we can't communicate any other way, you need to communicate with your mom."

"I promise," William said.

William took his papers out of the manilla envelope, stuffing his new I.D. and papers into his wallet and placing it back in his pocket. He smiled at his parents. "Charles William Soona is perfectly fine. He's living his life long dream of moving to Alaska."

Scully smiled through her tears as she chuckled. "You have your father's sense of humor."

Mulder grinned as he choked up. William held them both tightly. "I better go," he said, loosening his grip on them. He kissed Zoe's cheek and then looked at his parents one last time before changing his disguise to look like a forty year old man with a beer belly. Scully gasped as they watched him walk into the coffee shop and disappear from their view. Skinner started the engine and pulled away.

 **Belle Haven, Virginia. The Unremarkable House** :

Scully stood in Zoe's doorway smiling proudly. Zoe was dressed in her new school clothes with her pink backpack on her shoulders for her first day of school. Zoe's wild red hair was parted into two red ponytails as she twirled around in delight. Scully was busy snapping hundreds of pictures and posting them on Instagram. Zoe smiled as she posed for each photo, modeling her new clothes. Mulder walked up and kissed Scully's cheek. He glanced over to their daughter, watching as she twirled around in her blue dress that brought out her brilliant blue eyes. Mulder was awe struck as he watched her. "She looks like pictures I've seen of you when you were little."

Scully turned to gaze up at him. "I think she looks like Missy," she said, thinking about her long deceased sister. "Missy was always in the mirror."

Mulder smiled down to Scully and then grazed her lips with his. Zoe turned around, her nose crunched up. "Gross."

Mulder smirked. "Is it okay that I love mommy?"

Zoe nodded her head. "You love mommy A LOT."

Scully chuckled as she watched Mulder's expression change.

"I do," Mulder said. "With all my heart. Just like I love you."

"And Brother?", Zoe asked.

Scully turned to Mulder and he looked back at her. She could see the swirls in his eyes. He turned his attention back to their four year old. "We will always love your brother, no matter where he is."

"Daddy, is Brother okay?", Zoe asked.

"Mommy dreamed about him just last night," Mulder said, placing his hand on his spot.

Scully smiled. "It was a pleasant dream," Scully added. "He was smiling and looking around him with awe at the enormous trees. And he was finally at peace for the first time in his life. And Zoe, he was cooking dinner for Debbie in his kitchen when they were on their date. She's teaching him how to survive in Alaska."

Zoe shrieked. "I KNEW IT. I KNEW IT!," she said, running around in a circle. ""Daddy, when I'm mommy's height, I get to visit him, right?"

"Yes, you do," Mulder answered.

Scully looked over their daughter. "You ready to meet your teacher?"

Zoe jumped up and down excitedly. "Yes!"

"Now, the other kids have been in school for at least three weeks, Zoe. So, you'll have to catch up. But, you will, in no time."

Zoe raced past them, down the hallway to the front door. "Hurry Up," she said, gripping the straps of her backpack on her shoulder. "Hurry."

"Wait," Scully said, heading for the kitchen. "I packed your lunch box."

Zoe grabbed it from her hand and raced back to the front door. "Mommy, hurry! I don't wanna be late."

"Zoe, hold on. I'm just looking for my badge for work. It's been nearly a month since I've been there."

Mulder handed her the badge and watched as she placed it on her collar. Scully caught him gazing at her. She was as beautiful as the day he laid eyes on her. "I love you too, Mulder."

He smirked. "Do you?"

Scully walked up to him and stood on tip toes and gave him a quick kiss. "The thing about us getting older, Mulder, is that I'm enjoying that I don't have to strain as much to kiss you any more."

Mulder's mouth gaped open. "What are you saying, Scully?"

She smirked. "I'm saying, every year you get a little closer for my kisses."

Mulder huffed and waved her off. "I don't think so!"

Scully smiled as she grabbed Zoe's hand and bound down the steps. "Come on, Mulder, we have an excited little girl to take to her first day of preschool."

He touched the top of his head and looked down at his feet. He brushed it off and locked the door. "If I'm shrinking, what will that make you, Scully? Zoe's height in a few years?"

Scully smiled but Zoe looked upset. "What is it, sweetie?", Scully asked as she opened the door of their car.

"If you're my height, how will I get to yours and see Brother?"

Scully touched her daughter's cheek, looking into her sky blue eyes. "Your daddy is just joking, sweetie. You will grow and grow until your my height and then you'll get to see your brother again."

She watched as Zoe sighed in relief and seat buckled herself in her booster seat. Scully kissed the top of her head. She stood there a moment, feeling a moment of deja vu. "Emily," she whispered.

Scully slammed the car door shut and slipped into the passenger seat. She turned to look at Mulder. "You ready for a whole new chapter in our lives. PTA meetings and Cheerleading," Scully said. "Boyfriends and graduations..."

'Ah, no boyfriends!", Mulder said. "Absolutely no boyfriends. Isn't that right, Zoe?"

"Right!"

Scully smiled as Mulder headed down the dirt road.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetie," Mulder answered.

" I will have a boyfriend at some point!"

Scully grinned as Mulder sighed. "I know, sweetie. But hopefully, not for a very long time."

 **The End**

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